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Houston's very own dance crew, WyldStyl, was recently
commissioned to perform with dancers Shenzhen, China
for the Sister City Program, a cultural exchange
program, in each of their home towns. The crew was
given a selection of songs to which they choreographed
a dance that would tell the story's plot. They were
forced to step outside the box, being
creative-exploring different techniques and styles
(other than hip hop) including waltz and martial arts,
which were both helpful in creating the perfect
combination for the show. To add on, WyldStyl had to
include the dancers and acrobats from China. Although
the language barrier was difficult to work through,
the crew used translators on their iphones in order to
work with the dancers and to create a bond of
friendship. After a month of intensive rehearsal with
the dancers and acrobats from China, the entire cast
was ready.
The show had a run of four performances in Houston
before the dancers from China had to return home. Yet
once the shows in Houston were over, the engagement
had not come to an end. Following the local shows, the
crew left for China at the beginning of December for
their show in Shenzhen, China which premiered December
5th. The crew felt that the audience in China was a
bit tamer than the usual crowd they were used to here
in the States. Although the audience enjoyed the show,
the small energy of the audience throughout the large
theatre was emphasized only by a rather small
applause.
The show, The Legend of Ying and Yang is story
portrayed through dance. The Legend of Yin and Yang is
a story of deceit and romance in which two villages
are tricked into warring one another and true love is
born out of conflict. The story is easy to follow as
it's narrated in both Mandarin and English between
each dance section.
After the show, the crew still had about a week to
sightsee around China and Hong Kong. They were able to
meet the mayor as well as the Consulate General after
the show. The crew loved the trip and enjoyed
exploring the different areas on their travels.
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