The Chinese Rhythm & Dance Sensation

The Legend of Shangri La - The Chinese Rhythm & Dance Sensation

“The Legend of Shangri La” is a colourful culmination of Chinese superstar Yang Liping’s life’s work.  It is described as a raw, bawdy, romantic and joyous celebration of Yunnan’s ethnic minorities. The concert features traditional tribal drumming, joyous folk songs, poignant courtship dances and cultural rituals performed in a wealth of colourful costumes and a collection of 120 masks decorated in the styles of Yunnan minorities. The 50 dancers and musicians performing in the concert hail from the remote and mountainous regions of China bordering Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Tibet. 

From the mountains of Tibet to the plains of Yunnan lies Shangri La - the land that time forgot.  With over 5,000 years of stories in the making, Shangri La is an ancient land where 42 minority groups live in peace and harmony.  This beautiful, but remote and largely mountainous highland, is located in the southwestern regions of China. From this diverse and fascinating cultural heritage comes the rhythmic dance Sensation that is “The Legend of Shangri La”.   

Under the direction of Chinese living treasure and superstar Yang Liping, 50 dancers and musicians tell the ancient stories of a culture as old as time.  Hailed as a dance and choreography tour-de-force in her own country, Yang Liping, who will also dance in The Legend of Shangri La, has created an extraordinary performance of traditional song and dance fused with modern choreography. 

“The Legend of Shangri” La is an exquisite visual feast that combines a surreal setting on stage with dynamic lighting, music and a three-dimensional stage design.  Simplicity, joy and warmth are blended together alongside the excitement and pageantry of unique instruments such as huge drums that reflect the original beats and rhythms of their ancient beginnings.  

The “Legend of Shangri La” is narrated across a series of segments representing some of the most essential elements of nature: The Sun, The Moon, Fire, Homeland, and the Earth, all represented in the form of dance and music from across the Yunnan province.  And to conclude this spectacular event, Yang Liping will perform her universally acclaimed sensation “Soul of the Peacock”. 

This is a story that takes us back to a world that was only beginning – a world where one could touch the clouds and listen to the mountains where nature and man lived in harmony.