China Wrap-up

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 | All Posts by Matt Naughtin, Perpetual Motion: SFB on Tour | 2 Comments

Now that I’m back home and de-jetlagged, I have a few last thoughts and some photos I’d like to share from China.

First, Michele Inaba asked about the composition of audiences in China, and the interest in ballet by the press and general public. The audiences seemed to contain a healthy mix of the young and middle-aged, but very few elderly people, for whom ballet may be a new-fangled western import. There were a good number of westerners, especially in Beijing with its large diplomatic population. I couldn’t read any local newspapers, and the channels on the TVs in the hotels were dominated by state-produced programs and international cable fare, so I don’t know what kind of coverage we received locally. I know the local arts communities and the educated classes were interested and enthusiastic, as evidenced by the attendance at parties and events given for the Ballet.

Wherever I went I sensed a distinct cultural difference between the elderly and the more westernized younger generations. Old people are respected and cared for, but their world of bicycles, rickshaws and hutongs with narrow winding streets is rapidly being replaced by automobiles, high-rises and freeways.

Here is a short photo journal of the trip, starting with my first view of Shanghai from the window of my hotel room the night we arrived.

The view from my hotel room.

Bamboo scaffolding is still universally used for construction projects. I am told it’s stronger, pound for pound, than steel.

Guest Conductor Charles Barker leads the first rehearsal of Swan Lake with the Shanghai Philharmonic.

Guest Conductor Gary Sheldon rehearses the mixed-repertory program with the Wan Fang Youth Symphony.

The winding street next to our hotel contained a busy market in pets and insects, particularly crickets. Cricket fights have been a popular betting event in China since the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). These guys look like heavyweights.

On to Beijing and rehearsals with the Symphony Orchestra of the Chinese National Opera and Dance Drama Company. Charles gives some encouraging words and a pat on the shoulder to the harpist, who has a big solo in the Second Act of Swan Lake.

My comrade-in-arms, the Music Librarian of the Beijing orchestra, a very helpful gentleman named Chung.

A performance of Peking Opera at the Guild Hall Theater: lots of vivid colors, gongs, cymbals, singing and acrobatics. Who cares what the story was—it was delirious sensory overload.

Conductor Gary Sheldon was determined to get “Rolexes” for himself and his wife at the Yashow Market. It took a half-hour of bargaining, but Gary is a patient man and came away with a good deal. The watches even worked—after he took them to the repair shop in the background.

The dancers’ tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing turned into a love-fest between them and Chinese children, who flocked around to get their pictures taken with these tall westerners.

On my last day in Beijing I went for a walk in Bei Hai Park, a beautiful area along the shores of a lake northwest of the Forbidden City. This little girl looks like she’s ready to be one of the butterflies in Act II of Nutcracker.

There was a lovely little tea house by the lake, and I savored a serene half-hour sipping tea and watching people and rickshaws go by—one of my fondest memories of the trip.

Would I go back to China? I’d have my bags packed in an instant. I loved the people and the places I got to see, and would love to explore more of this great country. That said, I’m glad to be back and looking forward to revving up Nutcracker again and plunging into the new season.

Tags: China Tour

Beijing Journal III

Monday, October 5th, 2009 | All Posts by Matt Naughtin, Perpetual Motion: SFB on Tour | 1 Comment

We’re finished with our performances in Beijing, and the Company has two free days to do some sightseeing and socializing. Sunday: the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Monday: the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, and a reception at the American Embassy.

A pagoda in the forest, as photographed by SF Ballet dancer Quinn Wharton.

It’s fun to be traveling with a young and ebullient bunch of natural-born performers. The dancers hammed it up at the Forbidden City, striking ballet poses and doing lifts in front of the palaces while delighted Chinese people snapped pictures or had their photos taken with them. People were out in multitudes for the holiday weekend, and while the crowds were amazingly dense, I never felt uncomfortable or constricted. People were happy and relaxed, and we received many smiles and friendly stares (Chinese people aren’t shy about staring at you—they often gathered to watch us haggle with salespeople at the markets.)

I want to thank Frances JZ Fu who posted comments on this blog. You were right—it was me in the rather loud green shirt at Swan Lake. Your comments about Chinese audiences were enlightening, and I followed your advice about places to see in Shanghai.

A few impressions from my three weeks in China:

The Chinese people I have met have been gracious, hospitable, and kind.
They welcome strangers warmly, and are quite honest in commercial transactions (after some vigorous negotiation).
Children and the elderly are cherished.
Pistachios… I love pistachio nuts and they are superb here.
Bargaining (or haggling) is a lively art in China, and can rise to operatic levels of dramatic intensity.
If you want to get somewhere walking or driving, honk your horn (if you’re in a car) and gently but firmly wiggle your way in. There is no such thing as “right of way”.
The concept “sugar-free” does not exist yet in China. The only restaurant I found that offered Diet Coke on the menu was out of it.
Much of the signage, especially in Shanghai, includes somewhat whimsical English translations—sometimes deserving of a smile and a photo.

It looks like Quinn found some of these amusing, also!

I’m getting a second suitcase today to lug home all my loot, and will be heading to the airport tomorrow for the long flight home. I’ve had a grand time here, and have developed a genuine affection for the Chinese people. I hope these journal entries have been enjoyable and a bit informative.

Zai Jenn, and See You Soon!

Tags: China Tour

Beijing Journal II

Thursday, October 1st, 2009 | All Posts by Matt Naughtin, Perpetual Motion: SFB on Tour | No Comments

We met the musicians playing for our performances in Beijing. They are officially called the Symphony Orchestra of the Chinese National Opera and Dance Drama Company, and are a good group. Our guest conductor Charles Barker is pleased to be working with them.

The drive to the rehearsal hall impressed me with what a huge city Beijing is. It was relatively easy to get around walking in Shanghai (once you learned how to cross the street without getting run down), but I can see I’ll need to take cabs everywhere here because of how spread out everything is.

The musicians of the orchestra are very friendly, especially a young violinist named Andy who studied in Germany and has gotten me to shake the cobwebs off my high school German and chat a bit. The managers of the orchestra have shown us much hospitality, keeping us supplied with green tea and filling up lunch plates for us from the cafeteria. I met the librarian of the orchestra. He keeps their collection (mainly Chinese operas) in the percussion storage room stacked in loose piles on some metal shelving. (Click here for photos of how I keep things back in San Francisco.)

I have great respect for our conductors, who have to cope with teaching the intricacies of playing for our dancers to a new orchestra in each city we visit. Most orchestras can play Swan Lake, but very few have ever played for an actual danced performance, which requires a wholly different approach to the music. The musicians have to be constantly alert to subtle changes in tempo that can be different each night. It’s difficult for the conductor to transform a symphonic orchestra into a good ballet orchestra in the short time we have to work with them, and our conductors do a splendid job.

Charles Barker and I went to the Silk Market after the rehearsal. We found ourselves being patted, tugged, grabbed and tackled by the most enthusiastically aggressive salespeople I’ve ever encountered. It’s all good fun if you don’t take the strongarm tactics seriously, and get into the game of good-natured bantering that goes on between the salesgirls and their targets.

China's leaders and spectators waited at Tiananmen Gate before the start of the parade. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

We wanted to go see a bit of the big 60th anniversary parade today, but the entire city seems to be shut down and we’ve been told we won’t be able to get anywhere close to Tian’anmen Square. I guess we’ll have to be content with watching the festivities on TV like everyone else in the world. I’m hoping we can at least see some fireworks tonight.

Residents gathered around a portable television to watch the festivities. (Photo by Peter Parks/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images)

More to come.

Zai Jien!

Tags: China Tour

Beijing Journal

Monday, September 28th, 2009 | All Posts by Matt Naughtin, Perpetual Motion: SFB on Tour | 1 Comment

We finished our run in Shanghai and arrived in Beijing yesterday. The weather is blissfully cool and dry. Shanghai was so humid and warm that I couldn’t walk outside without breaking into a sweat.

The only cool things in Shanghai were the audiences, which, as Lily Rogers noted, were much more reserved than we’re used to. I’ve been told that this is to be expected in China, where a big show of enthusiasm is “uncool.” I was at two of the performances, and when I shouted “Bravo” a couple of times, people turned around and looked at me like I was mental.

I haven’t done much exploring here yet, but the feel in Beijing seems to be quite different. The traffic is heavy, but it doesn’t seem as frenzied as in Shanghai. The city is all dressed up for the big celebrations coming on National Day (Oct. 1). It’s the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, and the parades and fireworks are going to be spectacular. I’m heading off to the first orchestra rehearsal here this morning. We’re hoping the musicians are as good as those in Shanghai.

Until later,

Zai Jien!

Tags: China Tour