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The Nanjing Acrobat Troupe 南京市杂技团 from China came to perform at the Surrey Fusion Festival 2012 on July 21, 2012. The lady contortionist and her bodily deformity defy human body structure and give new meaning to being flexible. She appeared as part of a presentation together with the Wuxi Chinese Cultural Troupe无锡中国文化团 from Jiangsu江苏省.

The well-known Chinese cultural song and dance musical group has travelled and performed around the world. They recently toured Canada in July 2012 to present ‘Beautiful South China’ to audiences in Ottawa, Moncton, Halifax, Montreal and Calgary. Their appearance with the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe in Surrey, BC seemed like an unscheduled visit.


A Video by Ray Van Eng – Nanjing Acrobatics

Kang Ding Love Song 康定情歌 – Wuxi Song & Dance Group

That Far Away Place 在那遥远的地方 Wuxi Song & Dance Group

Holland Park, Surrey BC, Canada

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Canadian indie rock band Walk Off The Earth played their famous Gotye’s cover song ‘Somebody That I Used To Know” with five band members playing on the same guitar. They also belted out an original number ‘Summer Vibe’ to a very appreciative audience at Holland Park Concord Pacific World Music Stage during the Surrey Fusion Festival 2012 on July 21, 2012.

The band came from Burlington, Ontario. Band members include Gianni Luminati, Sarah Nicole Blackwood, Ryan Marshall, Mike Taylor and Joel Cassady. Besides the guitar, piano, drums and other instruments, the band also plays other unconventional musical tools including the Ukulele and the Theremin, as well as looping samples.

They became a Youtube sensation when their covered versions such as ‘Backin’ Up’ from The Gregory Brothers, Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’, The Beatles ‘From Me To You’ and others hit the Internet, gaining them millions upon millions of views.

the Surrey Fusion Festival 2012 (July 21-22, 2012 at Holland Park) has a multicultural flavor that celebrates the city’s diverse communities i.e. South Asian, Indian, Punjabi, Asian, Chinese, The Philippines, South East Asian, Latino, South American and European.

This year’s headliners include Los Lobos, Wuxi Chinese Cultural Troupe, Celebration Dance Team, Walk Off The Earth, Indianation, Nanjing Acrobat Group, Delphi 2 Dublin, Polonez, Briga, Good For Grapes and many other groups. There will also a Parade of Flags which has become one of the highlights of the family-friendly festival.

VIDEO – Walk Off The Earth [Somebody That I Used To Know]

VIDEO – Walk Off The Earth [Summer Vibe]

VIDEO – Walk off the Earth – Magic & Corner of Queen

Holland Park, Surrey BC

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The Vancouver Cantonese Opera troupe 燕鳳鳴粵劇團 featuring an almost all-female cast performed a number of Peking Opera acts at the Ron Basford Park in Granville Island on July 08, 2012 as part of the All Over the Map, a series of music and dance performances from around the world as presented by New Works of Vancouver BC.

Dream of The Red Chamber 红楼梦 is one of the most famous Chinese novels written by Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹 that saw its first printed publication in 1791. The sad scene depicted in the video is the Flower Burial Swan Song 葬花吟.

VIDEO – Flower Burial in Red Chamber Dream 红楼梦葬花吟


The Drunken Beauty or Guifei Intoxicated贵妃醉酒 is a famous Peking Opera that tells the story of Yang who throws a banquet for Emperor Xuanzong only to discover that he has gone off to another concubine. Greatly disappointed, Yang gets drunk herself instead.

VIDEO – Imperial Consort Yang Intoxicated 贵妃醉酒


According to legend, Imperial Consort Yang Guifei 杨贵妃 born almost 1400 years ago was one of China’s most beautiful women and was the beloved concubine of Emperor Xuanzong 唐玄宗 of the Great Tang Dynasty. Yang was strangled to death at the age of 37 at the order of Xuanzong as the people demanded her death for being suspected of associated with a rebellion that Yang’s cousin was involved in at the time.

The Drunken Beauty was also one of the most favorite acts of Mei Lan Fong 梅兰芳, China’s greatest opera performer.

Mei, a man, was much appreciated for playing female roles in his time. He also single-handedly brought the art of Beijing Opera to the world stage.

In the 1930s, Mei Lan Fong toured Europe and America and was befriended by many Hollywood greats including Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. German playwright Bertold Brecht was so taken by Mei’s work that Brecht later incorporated some of Beijing Opera’s techniques into his own work.

Traditionally, the Beijing Opera was an all-men troupe with male actors taking on cross-dressing female roles. Only boys were allowed entry to the academy and tutored under a very strict training system to become opera performers. But time has certainly changed. Since at least the 1960s, during the Cultural Revolution, different female roles of the Beijing Opera were routinely performed by female actors in many highly-charged political plays.

Interestingly, the Vancouver Cantonese Opera, a non-profit organization established in 2000, remains an overwhelmingly all-female troupe today.

Ron Basford Park, Granville Island, Vancouver BC

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The Closing Gala Dance Celebration for the 2012 HSBC City of Bhangra concluded a week long festivities at the HSBC Bank of Canada headquarters in Vancouver BC on June 10, 2012. Under the giant Swinging Pendulum, the energetic South Asian Bollywood-styled moves were presented by the HSBC Bhangra Team, a group of HSBC employees with no former training and took only weeks of practicing their dance moves to Punjabi-themed remix music by DJ Rekha. A convincing and winning act!

Gala Closing Bhangra Dance – A Video by Ray Van Eng

HSBC Bank Canada 885 West Georgia Street Vancouver

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Featured here are Cruz de Cristo from Portugal and Tamburica Orchestra Kardinal Stepinac from Croatia that performed at the EuroFest BC 2012, a pan-European cultural event that highlighted many of the smaller Euro nations such as Slovakia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Switzerland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan together with Russia, Spain, France, Germany and England. The one-day festivities which reflected Canada’s multiculturalism were organized by the EuroFest BC Society and took place on May 26, 2012 at the Swanguard Stadium in Burnaby, BC (right next to Vancouver).

Cruz de Cristo from Portugal

Tamburica Orchestra from Croatia

Swanguard Stadium, Burnaby BC

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It is Canada’s Multiculturalism at work. A Serbian dance performed by the Mlada Srbadija & Vuk Karadzic of Vancouver BC, Canada. The EuroFest BC 2012 is a pan-European cultural event that highlighted many of the smaller European countries such as Slovakia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Armenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Switzerland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan together with Russia, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and England. Performed on the main stage at the Swanguard Stadium in Burnaby, BC (right next the city of Vancouver) are many dance group and singers from these nations. Thousands showed up to enjoy the festivities organized by the EuroFest BC Society on May 26, 2012.

VIDEO – EuroFest BC 2012 – Serbian Dance

Swanguard Stadium, Burnaby BC

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The Vancouver Spring Show 2012 温哥华春节欢乐晚会 on Jan 15, 2012 was a celebration of different cultures coming together to share the joy of participating in the Spring Festival brought on by the Chinese New Year 2012 The Year of The Dragon 龙年.

The evening’s program also titled as The Spring Festival Gala was held at The Centre in downtown Vancouver. A multicultural cast of performers included Harry Yang, Jessica Liu, Beijing Little Peacock School of Dance, Nicole Li, Angel Huang Dance Co., Cecilia & Kevin Music Studio, Coast City Ballet, Shou-Yu Liang Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute, Cheondoong Performing Arts Society, De Danaan Irish, Shiamak Davar, Polonez, Sheila Christie, Zhi Liao, Yvonne He, QiaoYun Geng and others.

The event promotes the exchange of the Chinese culture with other Canadian multicultural societies and to develop and present high level performing cultural arts from different cultures and communities to the public. The night’s performances was recorded in high definition 3D TV for later broadcast and DVD distribution. The intention is to broaden the reach of this programming to China and around the world.

The main organizer of the Spring Festival Gala was CCLP International Cultural & Arts Exchange Center with support from The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Vancouver.

VIDEO – Multicultural Celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival

The Centre, 777 Homer Street, Vancouver BC

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The Vancouver Spring Show 2012温哥华春节欢乐晚 on Jan 15, 2012 at The Centre took the format of a variety show that featured a multicultural cast of singers and dancers. A notable one is a performance by
Shiamak Davars South Asian dance group.

VIDEO – Shiamak Davars Bollywood Dance

The Centre, 777 Homer Street, Vancouver BC

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The Vancouver Spring Show 2012 温哥华春节欢乐晚 that took place on Jan 15, 2012 had the format of a variety show that featured a multicultural cast of singers, dancers and other performers. 2012 is the Year of The Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar and this is the 2nd annual Vancouver Spring Show. The evening’s program was held at The Centre (777 Homer Street, Vancouver BC) and the night’s event was recorded in high-definition 3D-HD for later broadcast and DVD circulation. The event was meant to promote the exchange of Chinese culture with other Canadian multicultural societies and to develop and present high level performing cultural arts from different cultures and communities to the public.

The main organizer was CCLP International Cultural & Arts Exchange Center with support from The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Vancouver. The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, Steven Point, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of BC, Christy Clark, Premier of BC, Jason Kenney, federal Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, James Moore, federal Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Ed Fast, federal Minister of International Trade & Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, Alice Wong, MP, Minister of State (Seniors), Wai Young, MP, Vancouver South, Richard Lee, MLA, Parliamentary Secretary for Asia-Pacific, John Yap, MLA for Richmond-Steveston, Jenny Kwan, MLA, Gregor Robertson, Vancouver Mayor, Malcolm Brodie, Richmond Mayor, Derek Corrigan, Burnaby Mayor and many others were either present or sent in their letter of congratulations.

The night’s event was hosted by OMNI-TV news hosts Carol Wang and Lisa Wu, together with a number of others such as Kam Razavi (who speaks very good Mandarin), Hui Chen, Harry Lee and Frank Zhang.

Performers included Harry Yang, Jessica Liu, Beijing Little Peacock School of Dance, Nicole Li, Angel Huang Dance Co., Cecilia & Kevin Music Studio, Coast City Ballet, Shou-Yu Liang Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute, Cheondoong Performing Arts Society, De Danaan Irish, Shiamak Davar, Polonez, Sheila Christie, Zhi Liao, Yvonne He, QiaoYun Geng and others.

[Photo credits: Ray Van Eng - V21 Media | www.vancouver21.com ]






















































The Centre, 777 Homer Street, Vancouver BC

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Vancouver Chinese Instrumental Music Society and Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden Present Fiddles Around The World.

The bowed stringed instrument originated from India around 3000BC. From there, it spread out in all directions to China, Central Asia, Europe, Africa and the New World. Both the Chinese erhu and the western violin can trace their origin back to India.

On Oct 03, 2010, the Vancouver Chinese Instrumental Music Society and Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden presented Fiddles Around The World, a night time concert (at 7PM) that featured traditional and innovative music on bowed instruments. Chinese Erhu master Ji Rong Huang led a group of musicians from different disciplines including Tom Neville (Fiddle), Baljeet Singh (Dilruba), Amarjeet Singh (Indian Drum), Zhi Min Yu (Ruan – Chinese Guitar), Wei Li (Zheng – Chinese Zither) and Bruce Henczel (Percussion) to perform at the Dr. Sun Yet-Sen Classical garden. Renowned Canadian linguist Dr. Jan Walls emceed the event. It is Vancouver’s multicultural musical talents at work harmoniously to bring about a delightful concert of bowed and stringed musical instruments with music that is both ancient and modern at the same time.

VIDEO – Fiddles Around The World at Dr. Sun Yet-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

VIDEO – Authentic Chinese music Autumn Moon Over Calm Lake

578 Carrall Street, Vancouver BC

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