A Burnaby musician is part of a new collaborative, East-meets-West performance at Firehall Arts Centre.
Qiu Xia He is a specialist in playing the Chinese pipa, a four-string instrument with a history that stretches back some 2,000 years. She is one of four performers featured in Made in China, a new work by Wen Wei Dance, onstage at the Firehall Feb. 18 to 21.
The quartet also includes dancer Wen Wei Wang, artistic director of Wen Wei Dance; Gao Yanjinzi, artistic director of Beijing Modern Dance Company; and Sammy Chien, a Taipei-born, Vancouver-based interdisciplinary media artist who works to merge cinema, sound art, new media and dance.
The four merge tradition with contemporary practice, reflecting the evolution of classical forms of art in a modern world.
"Like a collective biography, the creators explore memories of their childhood in China, their artistic training during the Cultural Revolution, and the daring paths their careers have taken abroad," a press release says. "Shared through dance, music and storytelling, these memories are woven together to create an intimate dialogue between performers and audience that opens a window to another world."
Donna Spencer, artistic producer of Firehall Arts Centre, is the dramaturge for the production.
"Wen Wei brought the idea of this work to me over two years ago," she said in the release, noting she has had a long relationship with his company, having supported his initial choreography work through Dancing on the Edge and the Firehall Dance Series. "My interest in this work was compelled by the quality of the artists he was working with, his own vision of the work and their connection to each other through their heritage."
Made in China is currently touring, with dates in Banff, Victoria and Salt Spring Island.
It's onstage at the Firehall Arts Centre, 280 East Cordova St. in Vancouver, Feb. 18 to 21. Tickets are $22 to 32, available from www.firehallartscentre.ca or 604-689-0926.
