Written by: Shahnawaz Ramay
Posted on: September 16, 2019 | 
| 中文
The Mask and Feather performance (credits to PNCA on Facebook)
The Mid-Autumn Festival was organized last night at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) amidst a brilliant display of culture, history, friendship and entertainment. Chinese artists from the Chengdu School of Culture and Art as well as PNCA's own dance troupe came together to celebrate the moon and the harvest. The event notably featured an active participation of female artists in versatile performances.
The mid-autumn festival is a thousand-year old event celebrating a time of harvest. It carries themes of reunion and hope, which are as unending as the round shape of the full moon. The moon is supposed to look the most beautiful during this month. Family members gather from all corners of China to reunite and make mooncakes in honor of the festival.
Classical Chinese Instruments (credits to PNCA on Facebook)
The opening performance was that of an instrumental song. The women wore light lavender and silver gowns, which looked ethereal against a backdrop of a full moon. The group played classical instruments that echoed a soft melodic feel, but also changed pace frequently as a way of exuding joy. Similarly, a solo opera performance by Yao Jia bid farewell to autumn with a soft and gentle voice, as if singing a lullaby to a child.
One of the more rousing performances of the night was the acrobatic display of pouring tea from a long spout kettle. The performer twirled and threw around the kettle without spilling the tea inside. He would up the ante by making graceful turns, rotations and high kicks, all the while his kettle stood in place. This was followed by Ermalamba an all-female dance performance dedicated to one of the harsher areas of China. This performance was characterized by mainly hand movements and small movements of the feet.
Acrobatic Tea Performance (credits to PNCA on Facebook)
Now, it was time for the Pakistani performers to shine. The Taxila Odyssey group made a dramatic entrance, presenting candles to the audience as a sign of thanks for prosperity. They danced the Laqai, an ancient form of Attan, but also the Bharatnatyam and the Khathak. According to the narration, the dances celebrate human emotion, and chronicle the influence of art and culture in the region of Islamabad.
"War-horse Galloping" is a 30-year-old song, high on energy and enthusiasm, which seemed to bring images of the Wild West to China. This was followed by the Jazz Magician performing disappearing acts in a flurry of petals and pyrotechnics. His endless assortment of tricks and slight of hands kept the crowd on their feet. He also came prepared with a handful of Panda toys to distribute to the crowd, much to their delight.
Dance performance (credits to PNCA on Facebook)
Perhaps, the best event of the night was the performer with the intricate headpiece and feathers. At first, he seemed to be performing a dance, but with a flick of his face, his face mask changed! The dancer continued to woo the crowd by descending from the stage, and changing his mask rapidly, one of which included a Spiderman mask. He ended the performance with a brilliant display of fire breathing that dazzled the crowd.
Near the end was a martial arts performance by an all-women’s group. They came dressed in vivid red and orange outfits with symbolic war regalia. Their dance included spins, turns and an acrobat-like agility. The last performance of the night was the Jhoomer, which also celebrates a bountiful harvest in Pakistan. Performers wore Sindhi garb as they depicted the hope and happiness on harvest season, and also included beloved folk songs like Hai Jamalo.
Although the performances were plenty and engaging, what really lacked was proper organization. With no proper pass system, the hall was overflowing with people. There were no ushers to manage the crowd. This was not only bothersome to families and women, but also to the media persons covering the event. There were also no strict guidelines on children, as most of them congregated near the stage, endangering themselves and the performers.
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