Chi of Shaolin - The Tale of the Dragon

[GeneChing]

I think this is new to this forum. Unfortunately the title is hard to search here. I ran the presenters names and came up empty.

There's video - follow the link. Looks interesting, like a fusion between Shaolin in the Wind (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41377), Dralion (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37324) and Furry Fu (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52304).

Chi of Shaolin - The Tale of the Dragon (http://mpyinternational.com/Chi_of_shaolin_The_Tale_of_the_Dragon.php)

Yan Yan Zhao and Guy Caron of Cirque du Soleil's Ka and Dralion, present Chi of Shaolin: The Tale of the Dragon. The show is a riveting tale of a Thief who is left for dead after his efforts to steal a prized Chinese relic is foiled. He is found by a Shaolin Monk who finds compassion for the Thief and brings him back to the Shaolin Temple for healing. Through his quest for healing the audience becomes witness to his eventual recovery and ultimate and timeless transformation. The journey encompasses a spellbinding array of acrobatics, a fusion of traditional and modern dance choreographies and amazing displays of the legendary Gung Fu and Wushu Marital Arts skills of the Shaolin Monks. In its universal essence, “Chi of Shaolin: The Tale of the Dragon” is an inspiring and entertaining show to be appreciated by people of all ages and walks of life.

[GeneChing]

...which is in Toronto

Chi of Shaolin - The Tale of the Dragon (http://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/RecreationCulture/MarkhamTheatre/WhatsOn/ProfessionalShows/!ut/p/c5/rY7PcrIwAMSfhQfQJBACPfLJXyUgJChwYRCoIAKp2mJ5-s-Znnvr7mEPO7P7Azl4eSy_unP56KaxvIIU5KTAobPZ-Ac9kmMMoeeZBzUwI8QTFRxBCnHBLt_CW_olvmjRTM1sCS7ZK22 faXS-J0_K-jvkifD5yYKsn58Bt3ewekMHO7KMDSqthyW9tvKfNy2W_UShhrk zoJcYKnT9jQw18tPDX2RAkIFc-5UWIcD_kHYL8u40rOdqWMM1JhjBN4xVGesEEwUc_Qz51t2bTWu _h_3xGDhqPif9FKrU6Tun6OrD9pPLOR8bNg6LiJke7tza7q7iN imFDRs2lZ7eduWW6URMOf-3erLpO6ysgYRVW3-2rroXyPXvaePM9dgiuzZhOzpp8v7AVaR4pLiRR0dX27N2qVaCz 3E2ofFMzWsEiba3KYRMafgp7Fa0eg_8ls7PYvi4iewsSSBwp6E BYvgS7pIujSFJ_wEtzkzU/dl3/d3/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?pcid=8036330046ff849abfa5bfed92ad542d)
Date: Thursday, September 22, 2011
Time: 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Location: 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham, Ontario
Cost: $59, $54, $39
Chi of Shaolin - The Tale of the Dragon
Ticket Information

Prime Seating : $59
Regular Seating: $54
Student (17 & under): $39

Buy Tickets Online

Additional show dates: Sept. 23, 24, 2011

World famous and celebrated Chinese Acrobat, Gold Medalist, Co-Creator and Executive Producer, Yan Yan Zhao and Guy Caron of Cirque du Soleil’s Ka and Dralion present Chi of Shaolin: The Tale of the Dragon.

This show is a riveting tale of a thief who is left for dead after his efforts to rob a mansion is foiled. He is found by a Shaolin Monk who finds compassion for the thief and brings him back to the Temple for healing.

The journey encompasses edge-of-your seat action, amazing displays of the legendary Gung Fu and Wushu Marital Arts skills of the Shaolin Monks, vibrant costumes, illusions and a spellbinding array of acrobatics, modern dance choreographies that create the perfect balance of delight, wonder and excitement sure to captivate and dazzle audiences.

An MPY International, LLC Production.

Markham Theatre for Performing Arts
905-305-SHOW (7469); Toll Free 1-866-768-8801 (not available in 416/647 area codes)
305_show@markham.ca
Buy Tickets Online


By Simon Martin
Sep 22, 2011 - 9:49 AM

Acrobat show inspired by Cirque (http://www.yorkregion.com/what%27s%20on/article/1108489--acrobat-show-inspired-by-cirque)
Shaolin tale plays at Markham theatre

Eastern theatre. Yan Yan Zhao’s show plays at the Markham Theatre this weekend.
Twenty-five years ago, Yan Yan Zhao was riding bicycles with her brothers at the International Festival of the Circus of Tomorrow.
They won a gold medal and she was noticed and recruited by Cirque du Soleil for its first North American tour.
Fast-forward a quarter of a century and Ms Zhao now creates and produces new circus shows of her own.
Her latest project, Chi of Shaolin: the Tale of the Dragon, has its Canadian premiere at the Markham Theatre Sept. 22 to 24.
Ms Zhao, a fourth generation Chinese acrobat, teamed up with Guy Caron, who is renowned for the Cirque du Soleil productions Ka and Dralion, to bring the story to the stage.
The production tells the tale of a thief who has experienced a run of bad luck.
A Shaolin monk takes the thief back to the temple after a robbery attempt gone awry.
The story of the thief’s healing at the temple is told through dance, juggling, illusions and martial arts.
Ms Zhao said it was a great experience to work with Mr. Caron.
“He helped to bring the show in my mind to life on stage,” she said. “Each day, I learned from his amazing creative talents.”
She said her goal is to be as good as Cirque du Soleil.
Brilliant backdrops, vibrant costumes and intense music make this show an edge-of- your-seat thriller.
Markham Theatre general manager Eric Lariviere said he was overjoyed to have the Canadian premiere for the show.
“I think this show is so perfect for this venue and this community,” he said.
“If you like Cirque du Soleil, if you like to come and see world class entertainment with your family, you ought to come to this show.”
Mr. Lariviere said Ms Zhao’s first production, Jungua, was so well received, the industry couldn’t wait for her next one.
After the show’s three-day stint in Markham, it is going for two weeks to Montreal.
“You’re going to see shows with drummers. You’re going see shows with martial artists. You’re going to see shows with acrobats,” said Mr. Lariviere. “[Ms. Zhao] kind of brought everything together and created a storyline that is very close to what Cirque du Soleil does.”
To place an order for tickets, call the Markham Theatre box office at 905-305-7469.

[MightyB]

I have mixed thoughts about this - I can appreciate what Cirque does and how it gives opportunity to performance artists, designers, and the arts in general... but - when Guy Laliberte goes on national TV and brags about wasting millions of dollars gambling... I question whether I should contribute to his indulgence.

...and anything that has anything to do with Cirque, no matter how remote, contributes to Guy L's indulgence.

[GeneChing]

MightyB - Guy Caron is a former Cirque director. Guy Laliberte doesn't make a penny on this show.


A tale of redemption (http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/tale+redemption/5474304/story.html)
Acrobats, monks show off energy of Chinese culture
By JEFF HEINRICH, The Gazette September 29, 2011

Sometimes it helps to have a story.

The Chinese had the martial arts. All they needed was a tale to hang them on - and for that, they needed an expert in some good, oldfashioned storytelling. That's where Guy Caron came in.

A former director of the Cirque du Soleil and founder of the National Circus School, Caron was drafted by Chinese émigré circus artist Yan Yan Zhao to develop a narrative for a show by kungfu fighting monks.

Well, not real monks, exactly, but graduates of the famed Shaolin Monastery's school of martial arts, in northcentral Henan province - professional performers who tour the world spreading the Buddhist message of peace through strength. The result is Chi of Shaolin: Tale of the Dragon, a 90-minute show now touring North America. On Tuesday, it began a 10-night run at the TOHU circus centre in Montreal's north-end St. Michel district.

The 13 performers - eight fighting monks and five members of the Imperial Acrobats of China - engage in a variety of impressive routines. Besides practising kung fu, they duel with sabres, balance on canes with their hands, juggle with their feet, do contortions with chandeliers, and wield the Chinese diabolo.

Anyone who saw the Shaolin monks and the Imperial acrobats in their last performance together here, four years ago at the TOHU for a show called Jungua, knows what to expect in terms of spectacle. What they may be surprised to discover is a linear story linking the various routines.

"It's never really interesting to put on one number after the other without some kind of thematic line that links them, whether that be in the form of costumes or stories or what have you," said Caron, the show's artistic director, who previously staged the Cirque's Dralion (1999) and Kà (2004).

Caron, who now divides his time between his homes in Majorca and Quebec and goes on frequent trips to China to produce other shows, remembers first seeing the Shaolin monks perform at the old Forum in 1986. They've come a long way since then, he said. "Usually, what they do is demonstrate their skills, that's all. Here, with Chi of Shaolin, we're putting on a real show."

The tale is a coming-of-age story about a young man who finds redemption through martial arts. We first see him as a village burglar, trying to make off with precious works of art from a rich man's house. He's caught, beaten and left in the street, where a passing monk finds him and takes him under his wing. They pass through a forest to a remote monastery, where the young man learns to defend himself, transformed by the monks' teachings and their positive energy, otherwise known as chi.

On his way back to the village, the young man uses his new skills against a gang of bandits. There's a party for him in the village, and he returns to the rich man's house to ask forgiveness.

"I think audiences will come away with a real sense of the energy of Chinese culture and of how martial arts can be put to positive use," said Caron, who spent two months in China putting the show together with Zhao, a circus superstar in her homeland. He's known her since the mid-1980s, when she toured with Cirque du Soleil as a bicycle acrobat for the troupe's first North American tour. Now a U.S. citizen based in Reno, Nev., Zhao runs a theatrical company called MPY International, which produces the Imperial acrobats and Shaolin monks abroad. Chi of Shaolin was first staged in Beijing in 2010.

Exporting Chinese arts and culture is a far cry from the old days, when Chinese artists travelled abroad only under strict conditions, always accompanied by minders who doubled as government spies, Caron said. "There's none of that anymore." Instead, China has woken up to the fact that international tours are a great way to raise revenue, he explained.

"The socialists have become almost like capitalists. They hand out passports to the artists and say, 'Send us the money.' "

Chi of Shaolin: Tale of the Dragon runs through Oct. 8 at the TOHU, 2345 Jarry St. E. You can meet the performers after Thursday night's show. Tickets are $45 (adults) or $31.50 (children ages 12 and under). For more information, to view a video clip or to reserve a seat, go to tohu.ca. The producer's site is at mpyinternational.com.

[GeneChing]

Chinese troupe to perform here (http://www.timesreporter.com/communities/x1138520301/Chinese-troupe-to-perform-here)

http://www.timesreporter.com/archive/x213524410/g12c000000000000000058cc347b4be18a4ab57a233903099a d4a7e1d7d.jpg
“Chi of Shaolin — The Tale of the Dragon” will be performed at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas on at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Posted Nov 02, 2011 @ 12:00 AM
NEW PHILADELPHIA —

The beauty of Chinese culture and exciting martial arts energy of “Chi of Shaolin — The Tale of the Dragon” will grace the stage of the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Presented by world-famous Chinese acrobat Yan Yan Zhao and creative director for Cirque du Soleil’s KA, Guy Caron, the show is the riveting tale of a thief who is left for dead after his efforts to steal a prized Chinese relic are foiled. A Shaolin monk who finds compassion for the thief brings him back to the Shaolin temple for healing.

The audience becomes witness to his eventual recovery and ultimate and timeless transformation. The journey encompasses a spellbinding array of sabre work, hand balancing on canes, contortion with chandeliers, foot juggling, Chinese diabolo, acrobatics, a fusion of traditional and modern dance choreographies and amazing displays of the legendary Gung Fu and Wushu martial arts skills of the Shaolin monks. Enhanced by brilliant backdrops, vibrant costumes and dramatic original music, “Chi of Shaolin — The Tale of the Dragon” is an inspiring and entertaining show to be appreciated by people of all ages and walks of life.

For tickets

Purchase tickets now in person at the Performing Arts Center box office, online at www.tusc.kent.edu/pac, or by calling 330-308-6400. Tickets range in price from $35 to $55. The Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas is at 330 University Dr. NE, New Philadelphia. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Any forum members in striking distance that can give us a review?

[GeneChing]

Chi of Shaolin is coming to Cache Creek (http://www.cachecreek.com/entertainment/). Crappy timing. I'm already quite booked.


Chi of Shaolin
Saturday-Sunday, December 24-25

Chi of Shaolin: Tale of the Dragon brings incredible talent to the stage to tell a powerful dramatic tale fused with Shaolin warrior skills, unique acrobatic acts and amazing circus talent.

Cache Club Shows! Two Nights!

Free with Cache Club Card or $20 at the door

Club 88 - 8 p.m.

[GeneChing]

Tempting, but frankly I haven't paid for a Shaolin show in years. I'd try to hustle a press pass if I was just a little closer (and not so busy right now :o)

Chi of Shaolin (http://www.cachecreek.com/entertainment/)

Friday, January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Monday, January 6, 13, 27

Experience astounding Cirque Du Soleil-style movement and riveting storytelling. A captivating 90-minute show. Admission is free with a Cache Club card or $20 at the door.

Chi of Shaolin: The Tale of the Dragon is a dramatic tale of a thief who is left for dead after his effort to steal a prized Chinese relic from a mansion is foiled. He is discovered by a Shaolin Monk, who finds compassion for the thief and brings him to the Shaolin Temple for healing. Through his quest for healing the audience becomes witness to his eventual recovery and ultimate, timeless transformation. The journey encompasses a spellbinding array of acrobatics, a fusion of traditional and modern dance choreographies and amazing displays of the legendary Gung Fu and Wushu Marital Arts skills of the Shaolin Monks. In its universal essence, Chi of Shaolin: The Tale of the Dragon is an inspiring and awe-filled adventure sure to captivate all walks of life.

Club 88 - 6 p.m.

Hadn't realized this before I search for this thread, but the title of this show is easily confused with another Shaolin show Immortal Chi (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67053-Immortal-Chi-another-Shaolin-Warriors-show).