WUHAN, China (UCAN) -- A seminarian in a Wuhan parish has produced a traditional Chinese dance drama telling the story of Christ’s birth. Seminarian Huang Beifang who wrote the dance drama played the part of the inn-keeper later said he believed “this initiative was unprecedented.”
“Dancing shows the beauty of body language. It can be a means of evangelization and a way of praying to God and enhancing spiritual life,” said Huang. Other performers at the Christmas Eve production included three young men, who acted as shepherd boys, dancing in front of the manger and blowing on Chinese flutes.
The dozen or so actors also prepared other programs for the celebration, held before midnight Mass in the compound of the Holy Family Church in Wuhan city, Hubei province.
The Youth Fellowship of St. Paul who performed the dance drama won warm applause from an audience of 500 comprising Catholics and non-Catholics, Chinese and foreigners, who braved the freezing cold.
Luke Ni Luanru, who acted as Joseph, told UCA News that the Chinese costume and background music helped him get into his role more easily. The young layman had never learnt dancing but he felt satisfied with his solo dance which he had practiced for a month. He believed a Chinese-style Nativity dance drama “can help non-Catholics understand the true meaning of Christmas.”
“We should not use Western ways to spread the Gospel to our countrymen,” he added. The two-hour show also included hymn singing, prayers, comedy sketches, a performance by a seminarians’ music band, and a Santa Claus giving out gifts to children.
An American, Abrraham Rockferry, who is studying in Wuhan, played his guitar and sang “Silent Night.” He said English-speaking parishioners wanted to contribute their talents to the Christmas show, which he described as warm and cheerful.
Our friend and China expert Fr. Michael Saso tells us from Los Angeles:
"The images of Christ's life in stage, song, and dance form is one of the best ways of teaching in China, since the Han dynasty temple and village morality and festival plays. We did this thru puppet shows in... for graduate studies of comparative Daoist and Tantric Buddhist contemplative practices. "
"Loyola-Marymount Univ., Livia Kohn (Boston Univ), and the Shehuikexueyuan (Academy of Social Sciences) are planning a comparative religious studies program, here in Los Angeles, Beijing, and other cooperating places."
“Dancing shows the beauty of body language. It can be a means of evangelization and a way of praying to God and enhancing spiritual life,” said Huang. Other performers at the Christmas Eve production included three young men, who acted as shepherd boys, dancing in front of the manger and blowing on Chinese flutes.
The dozen or so actors also prepared other programs for the celebration, held before midnight Mass in the compound of the Holy Family Church in Wuhan city, Hubei province.
The Youth Fellowship of St. Paul who performed the dance drama won warm applause from an audience of 500 comprising Catholics and non-Catholics, Chinese and foreigners, who braved the freezing cold.
Seminarian Huang Beifang who wrote the dance drama
played the part of the inn keeper
Huang said his aim was to promote inculturation within the Church so as to tell people “the Word was made flesh for every race.” He said producing the dance drama was a challenge as the performers were not professional dancers but Catholic university students.played the part of the inn keeper
Luke Ni Luanru, who acted as Joseph, told UCA News that the Chinese costume and background music helped him get into his role more easily. The young layman had never learnt dancing but he felt satisfied with his solo dance which he had practiced for a month. He believed a Chinese-style Nativity dance drama “can help non-Catholics understand the true meaning of Christmas.”
“We should not use Western ways to spread the Gospel to our countrymen,” he added. The two-hour show also included hymn singing, prayers, comedy sketches, a performance by a seminarians’ music band, and a Santa Claus giving out gifts to children.
An American, Abrraham Rockferry, who is studying in Wuhan, played his guitar and sang “Silent Night.” He said English-speaking parishioners wanted to contribute their talents to the Christmas show, which he described as warm and cheerful.
Our friend and China expert Fr. Michael Saso tells us from Los Angeles:
"The images of Christ's life in stage, song, and dance form is one of the best ways of teaching in China, since the Han dynasty temple and village morality and festival plays. We did this thru puppet shows in... for graduate studies of comparative Daoist and Tantric Buddhist contemplative practices. "
"Loyola-Marymount Univ., Livia Kohn (Boston Univ), and the Shehuikexueyuan (Academy of Social Sciences) are planning a comparative religious studies program, here in Los Angeles, Beijing, and other cooperating places."
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