Shaolin Shows in SF Bay Area
There's a Shaolin Kung Fu exhibition coming to Flint Center on 7/23/05. I can't resist their press promo copy:
Quote:
Shaolin Kung-Fu - Chinese martial arts exhibition -
The culture of Yan Emperor and Huang Emperor is abundant of source flows; Chinese martial arts are famous, broad and profound in the world. Chinese traditional martial arts still occupy the prominent position in the world of Kung Fu with its rich cultural content. Each Chinese Kung Fu parties flows and becomes a strange view in Chinese civilization history with unusually brilliant results.
I'm not going because I'll be at Taiji Legacy that weekend. I heard that it is lead by a Shaolin wuseng and has nine performers.
There are so many Shaolin tours that come through our area, I thought I'd start to document them here, just for fun. There was a tour that just came through a few months back - it was rather controversial:
3/5/2005: Masonic Auditorium .
Flint Center has hosted Shaolin performances before:
3/17/2002: Wheel of Life
2/23/2003: Wheel of Life
no offense taken, Pk_StyLeZ...
...but we're all still wondering where Xingwei will pop up.
I found out a little more about the Flint Center show this weekend. Apparently it comes from some Henan organization - something to do with a society for Henan people abroad or something. I'm completely unclear on the amount of monks and such now, but I hear there are also acrobats and dancers involved. I've also heard that there is some sort of free show in SF on Friday, then the show at the Flint the next day. I was just asked if I want tickets, but of course, I'll be at Taiji Legacy.
Well, they are performance monks...
See, that was part of the point of that article. There is a new generation of monks that I've dubbed the Second Wave - these are wuseng that have only been indoctrinated for a performance tour, then they leave the order immediately after. Many, like these two, did the bulk of their training outside of Shaolin. The two featured in this article were Chen Fei (who took the name Yanfei) and Ben Zhang (who took the name Xingzhen). They were working together for a short peroid, then Chen Fei split off to join CPAA as their Assistent Wushu Director (he was with my master Sifu Tony Chen and the O-Mei Kung Fu Academies prior to going to Ben). Ironically, CPAA has some connection to IntMAT. Anyway since then, Chen Fei has split off again to form his own school, which I know I have the contact info for somewhere on this chaotic mess I call a work desk, but I can't find it just now.
Maybe now you get a little taste of the crazy Shaolin environment we have here in the SF Bay Area. And this is just the Songshan Shaolin circles. It gets even nuttier when you look at the traditional circles and the wushu circles...
Shaolin at the Flint center
So I got one report this morning. Apparently the show was disappointing. The head monk was Shi Yansen, who is a head wuseng coach at Shaolin Temple apparently. He lead a group of a dozen monks, including a big older guy that I only know as Zhou Laoshi (teacher Zhou). It's unclear if they were there in 'official capacity' (meaning Abbot approved). But the show was only partly Shaolin monks - there was a lot of music and dance and acrobats. The Shaolin performance was only two small portions of the show, less than half an hour sum told, so the people who went to see Shaolin kung fu were sorely disappointed. What they got was mostly wushu and only a few minutes of traditional (but your often lucky to see any traditional at all). It's too bad really, since it again sullies the Shaolin name in the eyes of the general public...
Well, this isn't in SF, nor is it Shaolin...
...but this seemed to be the best thread for me to post this on.
Quote:
Eldorado Presents American Premier of Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu
(Reno, Nev.) – The American debut direct from Beijing, Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu is a unique theatrical production which celebrates the philosophy and skill of the martial art of Kung Fu through story-telling, dramatic design, choreography, flying acrobatics and breath-taking music. This production breaks the mold with its clear and delightful storyline and its unique blending of ballet, modern dance and Kung Fu movement. Premiering in the intimate Eldorado Showroom September 13, the show continues through January 1.
The company of 65 features a cast of young Kung Fu practitioners, dancers, and acrobats, all of them professional performers from all regions of China, including 5 boys under the age of 12, already well-advanced in their training, and clearly delighted with their early chosen profession.
The performers are not only skilled in Kung Fu martial arts, but are also trained in, and quite impressive in their theatrical presentation. The dancers and acrobats add new dimensions to the exploration of the movements and discipline of Kung Fu. The action is continuous and the drama is breathtaking. A young boy, brought by his mother, enters the Temple of Kung Fu and trains to become a monk in the Kung Fu tradition. The master begins the boy’s apprenticeship, giving him the name “Chun Yi”, the Pure One. As he grows and develops, he learns the physical skills of Kung Fu but also learns he must withstand temptations of the heart along the way and throughout his life in order to maintain his discipline and Kung Fu focus. Chun Yi meets the challenges, falls for and overcomes temptation and finally attains the honor of being named Master, becoming a wise teacher for the next generations.
Developed at the Beijing Red Theatre by China Heaven Creation, one of China’s leading performing arts producers, Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu has impressed audiences and critics alike all over the world. Says Ian Trafford of Stage by Stage in London, “I work in the theatre industry in Britain, and I would say that this is one of the best shows I have ever seen anywhere, including the West End and Broadway. The design is stunning, with one gorgeous idea after another. The flying is breath-taking and the lighting is very effective. Congratulations on an unforgettable evening!”
Director and Playwright Su Shijin has interwoven emotion and action by skillfully combining traditional martial arts movement with evocative dance, ballet and flying acrobatics. Scriptwriter Gao Liting has captured the story of a young boy seeking enlightenment while the powerful music by Zheng Bing underscores the entire production, including the haunting theme song, The Lotus Blossoms Silently. Set designer Han Lixun has created a vast and interactive environment enhanced by the dramatic lighting effects of Rang Ruiguo.
Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu plays the Eldorado Showroom September 13 through January 1. Tickets are available from $30.95. For information and show times call the Eldorado at 1-800-648-5966 or 775-786-5700 in Nevada. Visit the Eldorado online at eldoradoreno.com.
West America Sep 24, 2005 in Oakland
The lastest Shaolin monk show (and sorry for being tardy about adding this one to the thread) is West America. I say I'm tardy because it's a Tiger Claw sponsored event and it's being co-promoted by my Sifu, Tony Chen of USA O-Mei Academy. That being said, you'd think I'd know more about who will be coming to this. There is a contigent of disciples that are in our area - Chen Fei, Ben Zhang and Xu Dezhang - but they are actually part of their own schools. However, the schools in our area have been supporting each other in the tournaments. Sifu Tony has been assisting Shi Yanfeng, not to be confused with the Yanfeng in Houston, but the one mentioned in our article in the Shaolin Special 2005. Also, I know Sifu Tony met with Shi Yansen and the group that came out for the Flint Center show mentioned on the previous page, just because there's a picture of him with them at our studio. So who will be representing Shaolin at this show, I don't know.
The most ironic thing is that I'm already firmly booked for Sep. 24th, so I won't be able to go. I know that Sifu Tony is putting together a fight night - USA vs. China - in November I think. The same "Monks of Shaolin" are being advertised for that. As soon as I get more data on that, like a website, I'll post it here.
Can you get more details?
Maybe it's the Chun Yi show, posted above and elsewhere now. I thought that was only going to Reno.
As for the West America show, I hear it was quite small. I'm suspicious about who the 'monks' might have been.
Funny you should bring up Houston
One of Shaolin's most interesting photographers, Justin Guariglia, is showing at Houston's FOTOFEST 2006: The Eleventh International Biennial of Photography & Photo-Related Art, March 10 - April 23, 2006. I just heard from Justin - he's headed to Houston now, so his exhibit must be debuting very soon. Justin works for National Geographic and did that unprecedented Smithsonian photo essay on Shaolin back in 2002. He also did the Shaolin portrait that was in the last Amnesty International Calendar - see my article Shaolin & Amnesty International in our Jan Feb 2006 issue.
I'm dying to see his exhibit, but I can't go to Houston, just for this...:(
Shaolin disciple demo at RDK in Santa Clara this weekend
I just met four disciples from Shaolin that will be performing as a special added treat at our only local Tiger Claw Elite Championship Qualifier, the Ultimate Internationals, in Santa Clara, CA, May 5-6, 2006. Working with the cooperation of Shaolin disciple Chen Fei (see above), we managed to bring in these four, who were previously in the US for the Chun Yi tour. They will be performing a very short demo in the morning as part of the opening ceremonies.
To catch up on Tiger Claw Elite Championships, see our thread on the TC Media forum or simply go to www.tigerclawelite.com
Tiger Claw Elite & Ultimate Internationals
The Shaolin disciple demo was ok. Chen Fei, De Zhengxu and some others joined the visiting four disciples, whose names I didn't catch unfortunately. They started with an rahter dramatic eight-section brocade, then showed their animal styles - tiger, leopard, scorpion, toad, duck and monkey. They did some sparring forms, some synchronized stuff, some tongbei, a little iron head (a two metal bar break), and some weapons demos. They did it all to a little boom box which I had to point the mike at (I was the MC :eek: ) and I thought about calling out what was going on to give it all some context, but I didn't know what was coming and I thought I might blank on something. Besides, I had to do all this other stuff for the tournament all day, so I figured I could rest while these guys were doing their thing. It probably could have used some explaination, since there were a lot of TKD and Karate people who didn't really know what they were looking at. And I could have easily described the action. Maybe next time. Then again, maybe not.
Strength & Unity - the sequel
Strength & Unity 2006 was again held in the San Jose Civic Center on Sunday June 18, 2006. This year had a nice showing of Shaolin monks and disciples from our immediate area, Houston, Las Vegas, and of course, China. I'm not going to sort out the names of who performed and such, because it was somewhat muddled in terms of who was there and who actually performed. I'm just going to list exactly what is written in the program.
Quote:
Shaolin Monks - showcase of Shaolin kung fu
Performers: Priest Xing Ying, Priest Xing Wei, Priest Yan Feng, Priest Xing Hao, De Zheng Xu, Xing Lie Ye, Fei Chen, Xi Gang Xia, Giu Wu Li, Xue Qiang Lv, Chuan Wang Xhou, Ming An Wu, Zhen Chen, Zhen Nan Song, Zhi Qiang Si
Note that many of the names are parallel to the post above (they are the locals and new FOB disciples). It was a good show considering the showcase, definitely the centerpiece of the performance, which also included Ernie Reye's Action Team and several dance performances. There was an amusing variation of the pull-the-bowl-off-my-stomach trick because it was prefaced by a drunken style form by the bowl-sucker performer. Two other drunken style performers pulled the hapless audience member off the bowl. Aslo, one performer ripped a phone book in half, but it was strangely unconvincing. Yan Feng, now sporting a full head of hair, did a ditang routine after the Shaolin performance was done. He was dressed in a red and white modern wushu uniform, and I wouldn't have even recognized him had ne not come up to me and said "hello".