“PoeticDance:TheJourneyofaLegendaryLandscapePainting”CelebratesThoseBehind“AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers”_GuangmingOnline“PoeticDance:TheJourneyofaLegendaryLandscapePainting”CelebratesThoseBehind“AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers”“AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers”standsasthesolesurvivingchef-d’oeuvreofWangXimeng,ageniusartistfromNorthernSongDynasty.Withcyanandgreenasdominanthues,thepaintingcapturesthenaturalbeautyofChina’smagnificentlandscape.Unfurlingbeforethebeholder’seyesisan11-meter-longscroll,characterizedbyanintenselyvividinterplayofcolorsandacarefullycraftedsetting.Wang’sdepictionevokesaprofoundsenseofawe,encapsulatingthemagneticallureofnaturalbeauty.Thecyan-greenhuerepresentsanawe-inspiringaestheticchoice,ararityamongChineselandscapepaintings.Addingtoitssingularity,“AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers”isthelongestsurvivingandbest-preservedworkfeaturingthiscyan-greenpalette.Withsuchuniqueness,thispaintingnaturallybecamethefocalpointofourstageperformance.PhotoofHanZhen,ChoreographerandDirectorofthe"PoeticDance:TheJourneyofaLegendaryLandscapePainting",duringanexclusiveinterviewwithGuangmingOnline.“AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers”isavisualodetothenaturalsplendorofChina.Ourproduction,“PoeticDance:TheJourneyofaLegendaryLandscapePainting”,isadanceperformancethatshinesaspotlightonthehumanaspectofthelegendarypainting.Wedelvedintothestoriesbehindeachindividualthatcontributedtothecreationandpreservationofthisincrediblemasterpiece.WangXimeng,ourprotagonist,createdthispaintingatthetenderageof18,anageinfusedwithromanticismandprofoundcuriosesity.Aswecreatedtheshow,weresonatedwiththe18-year-oldWang,sinceweshareinthearduousjourneyofartisticcreation.OuradmirationforWangtranscendsmerelyacknowledginghiseffort;wepaytributetotheextraordinaryartistwhodemonstratedstunningingenuity.Inourperformance,weimagineWangXimengasamentallyagile,creativepersonofcontagiousenthusiasm.PhotoofWangXimeng,playedbyactorZhangHan,inthedanceperformance“PoeticDance:TheJourneyofaLegendaryLandscapePainting”.(PhotoprovidedbyChinaOrientalPerformingArtsGroup)BesidesWang,wehighlightthecontemporarycraftspeoplewhoseskillscontributedtothegenesisof“AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers”.TheenduringlegacyofWang’smasterpieceowesmuchtotheexpertiseofartisansengagedintasksrangingfromengravingcharactersandweavingsilktogrindingstone,makingpens,andproducingink.TheseskilledcraftspeopleplayedapivotalroleinensuringtheresilienceofWang’screationagainsttheerosionoftime.Withoutthem,itwouldbeimpossibleforustoappreciateWang’smagnumopus.Almostathousandyearsago,WangcreatedthepaintingunderthepatronageofEmperorHuizongofSongDynasty.However,theenduringexistenceofthismasterpieceowesaprofounddebttothelaborofthecraftspeople,whoseskillsepitomizedthetraditionalcraftsmanshipthatreachedanincrediblelevelduringSongDynasty.Withouttheirexpertise,thistreasuredpaintingwouldhavesuccumbedtothepassageoftime.Inourperformance,anink-maker’swisdomechoes:“Evenifthepaperfallsapartthroughwearandtear,theinkwillstayunscathedforathousandyears.”EachtechniqueunderlyingWang’sworkindeedplaysavitalroleinensuringitspreservation.Today,weowethelongevityofthismasterpiecetothestate-of-the-artcraftsmanshipwieldedbythoseartisans.Wewerefilledwithoverwhelmingadmirationwhen,afterrelentlesslypolishingandrefiningthescript,wedecidedtotakethededicationoftheartisansasthecentralthemeofourperformance.Ultimately,thegrandeurofthepaintingisaresultofthecombinedeffortsofthecraftspeoplewhoparticipatedinthecreationandinheritanceofthispatrimony.Today,thejointeffortstopreservethepaintingisstillcontinuing.Throughoutourcreativeprocess,weengagedinafruitfulexchangeofideaswithscholarsfromthePalaceMuseum,expertsdedicatedtostudyingtheartisticsignificanceofWangXimeng’swork.Thesescholarsalsocontributedtopassingonthisrichlegacy.Uponconcludingthechoreographyofourperformanceandpresentingittotheseexperts,theyapplaudedourefforts,affirmingthatourcontributionwillalsoberememberedasacommendableendeavorinpreservingthelegacyembodiedby“AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers”.Photoofthedanceperformance“PoeticDance:TheJourneyofaLegendaryLandscapePainting”.(PhotoprovidedbyChinaOrientalPerformingArtsGroup)Withtheenchantingdebutof“PoeticDance:TheJourneyofaLegendaryLandscapePainting”,ourperformanceresonatedprofoundlywiththeaudience.Weaspiretotaketheaudienceonacaptivatingjourney,delvingintothetime-honoredandquintessentialelementsofChinesetraditionsandculture.Weaimtofosteracollectivecommitmenttopreservingnotonly"AThousandMilesofMountainsandRivers"butalsorichtraditionsandculturewovenintothefabricofournation.WealsolookforwardtointroducingthisperformancetoaudiencesworldwideandshowcasingaproductionbornintheEastbeforetheeyesoftheworld.Inthisway,theintoxicatingallureofWang’smasterpieceaswellasthemeticulouseffortsofitscreatorandcraftsmen,alongwiththeenduringappealofChinesetraditionsandculture,cantranscendborders.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.