The Year of the Horse and Our Activities

Starting on Saturday 31st Jan 2014, we will enter the Year of the Horse, a Wooden Horse or Green Horse. The Chinese Sign Horse is energetic, warm-hearted, intelligent and able, which reflects on a famous Chinese phrase 'Long Ma Jing Shen / 龙马精神’， which literally means 'Dragon Horse Spirit'. So we hope that the spirit of the horse will bring us a lot of luck and prosperity in the new year. 

We have a lot of activities to offer to our lovely audience during January and February 2014: 

• FREE Chinese New Year Celebration on Saturday 18th January at Lark Lane Community Centre (Old Police Station). Check here for details; 
• Chinese cultural show on 1st February at Unity Theatre Liverpool. Check here for details; 
• Lion dance, Martial arts and Pot Juggling performances on 7th February for Liverpool University Alumni event in London;
• Chinese dance performance and arts & crafts workshops 2-4pm on Saturday 8th February at Birkenhead Library; 
• Chinese dance performances on Sunday 9th February at Museum of Liverpool and Maritime Museum;
• Chinese dance and music performances at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm Tuesday 18th February --Thursday 20th February at Walker Art Gallery;
• Chinese cultural activities for LMH tenants funded by LMH. The details will be up soon;
• Chinese cultural workshops in over 10 schools across the Merseyside.

The Year of the Horse Chinese Cultural Show

To celebrate the Year of the Horse, China Pearl, in the association with unity theatre for the third year after sold-out shows in the past years, brings in a NEW eclectic Chinese cultural programme of authentic, innovative, exquisite and electrifying dance and music featuring traditional, contemporary and fusion styles. 

Our main performers this time will include:

• China Pearl Chinese dance group
• Chinese dancer Fenfen Huang
• Chinese dancer Susie Lu
• Funky Mentals Break dance group
• Chinese harpist Yuxuan Su
• Chinese singer Aaron Deng

You will learn different aspects of Chinese culture including history, ethnicity and integration of Chinese culture in the British society from this show. 

ONE night only. Cannot be missed. Grab tickets quickly to avoid disappointment as tickets sell fast.

Tickets: £12, £10 concessions

Box Office: Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG, 0844 873 2888 or 

                     (local) 0151 709 4988   http://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk

This project is supported by LMH, Unity Theatre, Liverpool Confucius Institute and MDI. 

For our past shows please check http://www.china-pearl.co.uk/?q=content/theatre-shows

Find out more about us on www.china-pearl.co.uk. Follow us on facebook (chinapearl) and twitter (chinapearluk)

Exciting Projects Ahead for China Pearl

1. Sutra pre show performance next Tuesday 14th May at the Lowry starting 6.30pm http://www.thelowry.com/event/sutra;
2. Memoir of Liverpool Chinese as part of Light Night next Friday 17th May at Siren https://www.facebook.com/events/609593095721976/?fref=ts;
3. Chinese dance (2.30pm & 4pm) and 24-Festival Drums (3.30pm & 4.30pm) at Battle of Atlantic 70th Anniversary celebration at Mann Island basin at Liverpool waterfront on Saturday 25th May;
4. Chinese lantern making and mask making workshops at Liverpool Mutual Homes' community events 12pm-4pm events Saturday 11th May at Clubmoor Recreation and Saturday 18th May at Sefton Park;
5. 24-Festival Drums for Peel Ports's event on 6th June;
6. China Day event with various Chinese cultural activities for Saddleworth High School on 11th June at the Blackie;
7. We have also received funding from LMH to deliver several Chinese festivals for LMH tenants. Details will be available soon

Fenfen Reached to the Finals for Merseyside Women of the Year

Congratulations to our Director Fenfen Huang on reaching the finals for Merseyside Women of the Year. Public voting will be open on Daily Post on 9th May. Watch out this space. Thanks very much to those who nominated her and supported her. 

Month of May Is Going To Be Exciting

We are looking forward to May very much. In May, we will be part of Light Night on Friday the 17th and present 'Memoir of Liverpool Chinese' at Siren, check details: https://www.facebook.com/events/609593095721976/?fref=ts

We will perform elegant Chinese dance and exciting 24-Festival Drum at Liverpool Battle of Atlantic 70th anniversary celebration on Saturday the 25th. Details will be up soon.

We will deliver Chinese paper lantern making and mask making workshops at LMH events on Saturdays the11th & 18th. Details will be up soon.

Fenfen Huang of China Pearl will deliver workshops in various places across the country.

China Pearl Returns to 2013 Light Night

We would like to invite you to our event 'Memoir of Liverpool Chinese' to share the story, memory and flavour of Chinese community in Liverpool as part of Light Night 2013 on Friday 17th May at Siren Cafe, at the Women's Organisation. Check the venu here: http://www.facebook.com/SirenLiverpool?fref=ts

Our event is as follows:

7.30pm: Talk from a Chinese gentle about his story being a seaman working on Blue Funnel and coming over to Liverpool and memories about earlier Chinese immigrants in Liverpool

8pm: Chinese dance performance and Taichi demonstration

8.30pm: Short films about Liverpool Chinese community

7.30-9pm: Calligraphy & Chinese Painting Display, Chinese Name Writing

This event is free admission but donations are appreciated to sustain our organization and development of our future projects.

If you want to learn about the history of Liverpool Chinese community and experience the beautiful authentic Chinese arts & culture, this is the event you should not miss. 

If you have any enquiries please email us at info@china-pearl.co.uk

Videos for Lady White Snake Show on 1st March at Unity Theatre

Highlights for the show: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kbDua8OoCs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMUfaCatqcc

Full videos: 

Chinese Fan Dance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NOnKK-Cc9Y

Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKiDtNoXSgY

Traditional Han Tang Dance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84urKcW-gJc

Lady White Snake Poetry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M53vaYQok9g

Lady White Snake Dance Theatre piece: http://youtu.be/GTzuH4pde2Q

Review of 2013 Chinese New Year Celebrations

Chinese New Year finished a month ago. We were very busy with performances and workshops in various places across the city and country: 

• Fenfen Huang of China Pearl performed Chinese dance and delivered a Chinese dance workshops at Maritime Museum on 10th February 2013: http://www.baytvliverpool.com/vod/index.php?vid=GBV511b51070182a
• http://www.baytvliverpool.com/vod/index.php?vid=PBV511a035227e9c

• Fenfen Huang of China Pearl performed Chinese dance and delivered a Chinese dance workshops at Museum of Liverpool on 10th February 2013: http://www.baytvliverpool.com/vod/index.php?vid=MBV5117fb074b9b3

• Liverpool City Council CNY Celebrations at Williamson Square on 9th February and Bold Street on 10th February: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151287356848339.463971.49603953338&type=3

• 'Spirit of Dragon' show at Brewery Arts Centre on 7th February

• Workshops in schools and children centres across the country including St Sebastian Primary, St Cuthbert's Primary, Emmaus Primary, Barlows Primary, Crosby High School, Anfield Children Centre in Liverpool, Townfield Primary and Leasow Early Year & Adults Learning Centre on the Wirral, St Joseph's Primary in Dorking, Eureka Children Museum in Halifax.
•  
• Year of the Snake Chinese Arts Festival on 1st & 2nd March at Unity Theatre: http://chineseartsandculture.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-year-of-snake-chinese-arts-festival.html

Our Chinese Arts Festival review featured on My Asian Planet

Our Chinese Arts Festival review featured on My Asian Planet:  http://www.myasianplanet.com/culture/chinese-arts-festival-captures-the-beauty-of-the-east-at-unity-theatre/

Beautiful Performance at Move It 2013

Our dancers performed beautiful Chinese umbrella dance at Move It 8th March 2013. It was fun and great day. We met the host Matt Flint, the winner of 2nd seasn of UK So You Think You Can Dance. 

Snippet of the performance here:  http://youtu.be/wbU-R8wHgzA

 

The Year of the Snake Chinese Arts Festival Was A Delightful Success

We hosted a Chinese Arts Festival at Unity Theatre on 1st and 2nd March 2013 with 2-night shows 'Lady White Snake' with Chinese tea tasting on the night of 1st March and taster sessions in various Chinese cultural activities on the afternoon of 2nd March. 

We had 170 audience attending the shows and 100 people taking part in the Chinese tea tasting on the evening of 1st March and the taster sessions in various activities on the afternoon of 2nd March. 

We had Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Gary Millar's generous support to open the festival for us. 

Lady White Snake Shows:
Audience rated the show 4.5 star and gave very positive feedback. 

With Deputy Lord Mayor and Young Lord Mayor

                        

Feedback from the audience for Lady White Snake production:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151325071593339.1073741825.49603953338&type=1

Photos for the show: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151333844758339.1073741826.49603953338&type=3

Videos for the performances: 

Highlights for the 1st Half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMUfaCatqcc&feature=youtu.be


Highlights for 2nd Half (Lady White Snake Dance Theatre piece): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kbDua8OoCs&feature=youtu.be  


Full videos: 

Chinese Fan Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NOnKK-Cc9Y

Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKiDtNoXSgY

Traditional Han Tang Dance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84urKcW-gJc

Lady White Snake Poetry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M53vaYQok9g

Dance Theatre piece: http://youtu.be/GTzuH4pde2Q

Taster Sessions: 

We delivered taster sessions in Chinese dance, storytelling, Martial Arts, Calligraphy, Painting & Mask Making. We had about 50 people with ages spanning from 4 to 70 and various ethnicities and abilities taking part in. It was fun and informative day. We also had an exhibition of Ali Harwood's paintings. 

Photos: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151340240063339.1073741827.49603953338&type=3

Feedback: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151342732508339.1073741829.49603953338&type=1

Outreach 

We also delivered a number of outreach performances and workshops in various community settings including Tuebrook Children Centre (200 people), The Blackie (500), Flaxman Court Sheltered Housing (20), Anfield Youth Club (60), Amandudu Domestic Violence Victimes Centre (10), St Cyril's Youth & Children Projects (10), Wirral Chinese Women's Association Celebration at Liverpool Chung Ku Chinese Restaurant and Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral (200). We reached about 1000 people. We had overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants and organisers. For photos and feedback please check here. 

Flaxman Court LMH 

                                                             Flaxman Court LMH 

Anfield Youth Club/Community Sports Centre

The Blackie

Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral

Press Coverage:

This event featured in many local, national and international press including China Daily, Liverpool ECHO, Liverpool Confidential, My Asian Planet, Bay TV, Open Culture, Nee Hao, SEN, Madeup TV, Visit Liverpool, LCVS, BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio Great Manchester. 

Review: http://www.myasianplanet.com/culture/chinese-arts-festival-captures-the-beauty-of-the-east-at-unity-theatre/

Publicity: 

• Promotional Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpZbZGVfKOA 
• Rehearsals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pFRNuKde4E
• Message from the cast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RTeCyujtjE

 Poster

 

Many thanks to our funders Arts Council England, Liverpool PCT, Liverpool Mutual Homes, Merseyside Police Authority and Liverpool Confucius Institute, parters Unity Theatre and Windows Project, support in kind from the Blackie, MDI, LIC Studio, View 2 Gallery, Hondu Chinese Supermarket and all the media and organisation mentioned above who helped publicise the event, all the artists and people involved and audience to make this project possible. 

Review for Spirit of Dragon in Kendal

When I went to see the Spirit of Dragon at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, I was spellbound by such an amazing performance. There was an entire series of arts, ranging from Street Dance, to playing music, modern or traditional, contemporary or hip hop. It was a very varied show and because of this would appeal to people of all ages and with all opinions and favourites. Personally, my favourite chapter was the street dancing, because it told a story through dance that was humorous and well written with a hint of danger. The playing of the Chinese Harp was exquisite and it was intriguing to see how this type of Chinese music is played because I have never stopped to think about how different it sounds to our traditional English music. The singing was very interesting because you could tell what style the numbers were, even though the music was played with different instruments to the ones we use and it was in a different language you could still tell that some of it had been written quite recently. The dancing was very professional and was interesting to see how tradition Chinese dance interprets stories, tales and subjects. All put together, the performance was amazing, interesting, spellbinding and a must-see for all those interested in foreign culture. I would definitely go to their next performance and I strongly recommend it to all people.

Reviewed by Eleanor Avon, 11

A message from the Lady White Snake cast

Chinese Arts Festival This Week

We are nearly there. Chinese Arts Festival is this Friday and Saturday. We have all been working very hard on the project. Looking forward to sharing with audience what we have been doing in the past a month or so. Hope to see many people to come and experience enticing and exciting traditional and contemporary Chinese culture.

Friday 1st March:
7-8pm: FREE Chinese tea tasting @ the bar
8pm: beautifully-crafted 'Lady White Snake' show suitable to all ages consisting of traditional & contemporary Chinese dance, Chinese music & fusion of Chinese harp and African drum, a poem and dance theatre piece about the famous Chinese folktale 'Lady White Snake'.

Check our rehearsal clips: http://youtu.be/8pFRNuKde4E
Check trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpZbZGVfKOA.

Saturday 2nd March:
12.30-5.30pm: FREE taster sessions in various Chinese cultural and arts activities for all ages.
12.30-1.30pm: Chinese dance & storytelling
1.30-2.30pm: Martial Arts
3-4pm: Calligraphy
4.30-5.30pm: Painting & Mask Making
8pm: Lady White Snake show

Book tickets for the show here www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/whats-on/other-venues/unity-theatre/details/133-lady_white_snake.html

Email <dolly@china-pearl.co.uk> to book places for the workshop(s) you want to attend. Places are limited.

Come to share our passion and hard work. Hope to see you there.

Exciting week ahead to welcome the Year of the Snake

Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is this Sunday, which we are looking forward to welcoming the Year of the Snake. We have a every exciting week ahead and there are lots of free events to you to take part in:

1. Fenfen Huang of China Pearl is delivering Chinese dance workshops at a primary school in Dorking and develop a scheme of work with teachers on Monday;
2. Fenfen is delivering Chinese dance and arts & crafts workshops with Crosby High School on Tuesday;
3. Fenfen is delivering Chinese dance and cultural workshops with St Sebastian Primary School on Wednesday;
4. Spirit of Dragon show The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal on Thursday, still tickets available http://www.breweryarts.co.uk/music/listing/spirit-of-dragon
5. Fenfen is delivering Chinese dance workshops at Anfield Infant on Friday;
6. Chinese dance, singing and music at the Williamson Sq Sat afternoon;
7. Fenfen is performing a Chinese dance and delivering dance workshops at Museum of Liverpool 1-2pm and Maritime Museum 3-4pm Sunday http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/events/chinese_new_year_events.aspx
8. Chinese dance and music performances at the Blackie 12.30/12.45pm Sunday 
9. Chinese dance, singing and music at Bold Street on Sunday 2-4pm

Press Release for Spirit of Dragon at Brewery Arts Centre

After a sold-out ‘Spirit of Dragon’ show in February 2012 at Liverpool Unity Theatre to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, China Pearl, a Liverpool-based Chinese Arts & Culture company, is very excited to bring this production to Brewery Arts Centre and celebrate the end of Year of the Dragon with audiences in Cumbria on 7^th February 2013.

The show consists of enticing and exciting dance and music performances, including elegant Chinese fan and umbrella dances,  captivating traditional Chinese Han Tang dances with over 2,000 years of history behind it, plus innovative break dancing with a Kung Fu theme, mesmerising Chinese harp and enchanting pop singing with traditional Chinese elements.  It promises to be an informative and enjoyable night when you will experience rich and fascinating Chinese culture, history, tradition and creativity. Check highlights from last year's show. 

We were awarded BBC Performing Arts Fund in 2011 and developed several Chinese dance pieces as part of the show. The audience from last year’s show gave high praise for the production:

‘Super show, fab dancing, singing and everything, great costumes. It was a pleasure to watch. Cannot wait until next show. Many thanks!’

‘Amazing! The venue was too small for the talent involved. Take higher, take it further! Brilliant!’

‘Fantastic show! It was great to learn more about Chinese culture and arts. The dancing was phenomenal!’

Fenfen Huang, Director of China Pearl and producer and choreographer for the show, comments, ‘We had a very successful show last year in Liverpool. It is really nice to see that we are taking it beyond Merseyside and share our beautiful culture and arts with a wider audience in the charming Lake District. I delivered a Chinese dance workshop with Brewery Arts Centre many years ago so I am very excited for our collaboration this time.’

For further information check out www.china-pearl.co.uk or to book tickets at http://www.breweryarts.co.uk/dance/listing/spirit-of-dragon