Photos by John Tsou
Worcester, Mass., March, 8, 2013, — In the evening of March 6, 60 dancers from Gansu Dance Theatre of Gansu province, China presented the award-winning Silk Road dance show at Hanover Theatre in Worcester, Mass. Tens of thousands miles away from home, the dancers performed with such passion and devotion that brought alive the rich and ancient cultures along the Silk Road during Tang Dynasty to the audience.
In a radio interview, Wei Zhou, who was in charge of marketing and PR for Gansu Dance Theatre’s US tour, mentioned that Gansu Dance Theatre was established in 1961 to research, create and perform music and dance reflecting culture of Dunhuang, renounced for its natural beauty and historic role in the Silk Road. Many of the dances were based on the beautiful paintings and sculptures of Dunhuang. The Silk Road dance show was performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, and received rave reviews in its tour around the world. The only other stop for this year’s US tour was at Lincoln Center in New York City.
According to friendsofdunhuang.org, Dunhuang’s grottoes, remarkably preserved in the desert environment of the Silk Road for 17 centuries, remain an inspiration to all who journey there. It’s one of World Heritage Sites. Buddhist culture, brought to China by monks and pilgrims, was enshrined at Dunhuang by merchants, officials and aristocrats who commissioned decorated caves in a nearby cliff, known as Mogaoku or “peerless caves,” 492 remain.
In the audience, Beatrice Lee of Medford, Mass. had actually traveled to the Silk Road before. “I had been to Silk Road twice. I was in Nanzhou, Ningxia province, and even traveled to Russia twice along one of the Silk Road routes. I enjoyed the show a lot. The grape vines especially gave me the best impression. All the dances had beautiful setup scenery and exquisite costumes. Fantastic facial expression and marvelous body language by the performed,” said Beatrice seating in the front row. She felt it would be helpful if there was pamphlet to tell the stories behind the dances for those who might not know a lot about the history of the Silk Road.
Please enjoy some wonderful pictures from the Silk Road show at Hanover Theatre by photographer John Tsou below.
Behind the Scenes with Wei Zhou of Silk Road on WCRN 830AM
Aired on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 9am on WCRN 830AM. Wei Zhou, who handled marketing & PR for Gansu Dance Theatre’s Silk Road, was interviewed by host Lisa Conduit for WCRN 830AM.
About The Hanover Theatre
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, located in downtown Worcester, New England’s second largest city, is recognized by Pollstar as one of the top 50 theatres in the world. After undergoing many name changes and renovations over the decades since its 1926 birth, The Hanover Theatre reopened in March 2008 following a $32 million historic restoration. Since then, the theatre has established its place as a rich entertainment and cultural venue, winning numerous awards, including The National Trust for Historic Preservation Award in 2010. Now in its fifth season, The Hanover Theatre continues to expose over 170,000 annual patrons to world-class entertainment in the form of Broadway, concerts, comedians and much more. For more information, visit TheHanoverTheatre.org. Worcester Center for the Performing Arts, a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.