The Taiwan Youth Goodwill Mission will present an evening of Chinese culture, art and music at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, in the de Jong Concert Hall of Brigham Young University's Harris Fine Arts Center.
The 20-member ensemble from Taipei in the Republic of China is one of three groups of Goodwill mission performers touring the world. Their wide-ranging program will feature dancing, drama, folk art and even kung-fu, all performed in resplendent native costumes.Tickets for the performance are $6 for the general public and $4 for students and are available at the BYU music ticket office, 378-7444.
Under the direction of Day-Yang Liu of the National Taiwan Institute of Technology, the young amateur performers represent some of Taiwan's major colleges, universities and academies.
Opening the program is the "Spring River Dance," based on the love affair between Tang Dynasty emperor Ming Huang and royal concubine Yang Gwei Fei, one of China's most celebrated beauties. The segment is a tribute to the power and majesty of one of China's most important dynasties.
"A Forked Road" is a light-hearted example of China's traditional folk opera, with a crafty inn-keeper endeavoring to steal the possessions of a knight-errant. "The Legend of Shaolin" pays tribute to the Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of Oriental martial arts. The final portion of the program, "Holiday Celebrations," illustrates the lavish and colorful Chinese approach to customs, celebrations and festivals.