From ‘Killing Beauty’ (Shā Lè Měi) to ‘Killing Me’: On the North American Premiere of McVicar’s Salome
By Elizabeth Jia Before attending the dress rehearsal of Salome at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, I had braced myself. Having been forewarned that the opera isn’t exactly “easy on the ears,” I had playfully pre-translated its title using a Chinese pun. The standard Chinese transliteration of Salome is “莎乐美” (Shā Lè Měi). By shifting the tones and characters slightly, it becomes “杀了美” (Shāle Měi), which literally means “Killing Beauty”—a fitting jab at my anticipated aural assaul
The Mirror of History and the Dream of the Future: The Modernist Reinvention and Cultural Politics of the Chicago World's Fair Edition of The Nutcracker by Joffrey Ballet
By Elizabeth Jia Introduction: When Fairy Tale Meets Modern History The melody of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker is solidified in Western cultural memory as the soundtrack of the Christmas season, much like drinking eggnog and eating Gingerbread men – a must-see ballet every holiday season, a production that sustains many ballet companies. However, Christopher Wheeldon's Chicago World's Fair edition of The Nutcracker for The Joffrey Ballet does not present the traditional dream
Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Desire, Trauma, and the Remaking of Family Myth in The Capulets
By Elizabeth Jia The Capulets, choreographed and directed by Wade Schaaf, Artistic Director of the Chicago Repertory Ballet (CRB), stands as one of the most audacious deconstructions and reconstructions of Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet. Recognized as one of the top ten dance productions of the year in Chicago, this work shifts the focus away from the central tragic romance, instead turning a brutally precise spotlight onto the internal dynamics of the Capulet family.
An Americanized 'Journey to the West' Emerges in San Francisco: Reflections on the Opera 'The Monkey King'
by Elizabeth Jia Having attended the global premiere at the San Francisco Opera and reflected for less than twenty-four hours, those initially startling adaptations have begun to ferment in my mind, forming a peculiar aftertaste. This opera, with an almost reckless courage, has recast one of China's Four Great Classical Novels, Journey to the West, in the crucible of contemporary American culture. At first glance, it felt jarring; upon further thought, this seems to be the ex
An interview with Chinese Artist Mr. Yuanwei Yang
Mr. Yuanwei Yang was born in 1943 in Jiangsu Province, China. He is an artist at the American Arts Research Institute and a member of the...
'Sweet Songs, Romantic Ballads' －Concert Highlights and Guest Performers
Teresa Teng (29 January 1953 – 8 May 1995) was a Chinese singer. She was known for her folk songs and romantic ballads. She recorded...
Chicago Arts and Cultural Association Hosts Design Professionals and Educators from China
Fifteen design professionals and educators from different areas in China spent 13-day in New York and Chicago successfully attended...
Ceramic and the Silk Road
Wei Wang was born in Huzhou, Zhejiang, China and is the vice chairman of China Intangible Cultural Heritage Alliance. Wei is also the...
Sweet Songs, Romantic Ballads.
This coming fall, in western suburb of Chicago, there is a special concert you won’t want to miss. Elaine Wang, also known as ‘Little...
Building a Wonderland
Shaly Guo is a fashion designer who graduated from the School of Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 2017 with her master degree. Her...
