By IANS
New Delhi : Their bodies seemed to be made of rubber, sans any bones, as they twisted and turned with ease and grace. Dressed in short red dresses, for the five Chinese acrobatic dancers, making a perfect 180 degree by twisting their bodies was no big deal – setting the stage on fire and leaving the audience gasping.
The acrobatics team’s performance was one of the many that entertained an audience of more than 200 Monday evening on a China Tourism Night held as part of the ‘India-China Year of Friendship Through Tourism-2007’ celebrations in the capital.
A 32-member Chinese tourism delegation is visiting India Aug 19-26 at the invitation of Tourism Minister Ambika Soni to discuss ways for strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Led by Shao Qiwei, chairman of China’s National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the delegation comprises senior officials from CNTA and from the tourism bureaus of 13 Chinese provinces and municipalities.
With soft oriental music in the background, the evening kick-started with Qiwei and Soni inaugurating the China National Tourist Office in the capital to promote China as a tourist destination in the growing Indian outbound travel market.
A pulsating performance by a Chinese dance troupe followed, totally captivating the audience. Dressed in green and golden skirts and glittering headgear, the girls danced around golden masked tigers to make for a spectacular sight.
Poetry, songs, a dramatic plot and background music were incorporated to make for a comprehensive production and bring alive the romance of a Chinese dance drama.
A number of other dance performances followed, expressing veneration to the spirits on heaven and earth, etching out aspects of everyday life, and giving expression to shared feelings of joy and delight.
The dazzling costumes and colourful stage props served to add more zing to the show.