Farewell Party

For those of you that missed the post-performance reception on Monday 19 November 2012:

During the post performance party for the participants of ArtsCross Beijing 2012 on the second floor of the new BDA building, many dancers were invited up to share their experience during the past three weeks. It turned out to be an extremely emotional occasion.

Whether they were from China or Taiwan, male or female, almost everyone cried and had to keep pulling tissues to wipe away their tears.  But these tears swelled up from within, due to their three weeks of hard work in the studio with the choreographers and dancers, rehearsing day and night.

TNUA alumni/dancer Ms. Ning Chi spoke of the demanding drills their choreographer Rachel Lopez de la Nieta made them repeat ruthlessly with the buckets in the studios, yet without water used in the actual performance, for it was against the policy of the new studios. So Rachel asked them to trust her and keep going, it was only quite late, by the time they got into the actual theatre, that they were finally were able to include water in their work. Only then could she understand what Rachel had envisioned all along.  Although they could not get warm enough water for this piece, resulting in some of the performers catching colds, they delivered a phenomenal performance!

As many dancers were more mature graduate students, they cherished each and every opportunity to perform on stage, for they understood the harsh reality of the competitiveness of their profession, not to mention the risks which could arise anytime from injuries and so forth. Many dancers were extremely grateful for taking part in this project. They felt the works in which they performed were created with each of their individual contributions drawn from deep within, something they had not always had the privilege to do so in the past.

In short, a touching scene to have witnessed, the night before leaving Beijing…

–Yatin