Few days ago, I finished an autobiography by a famous Chinese male ballerina. This book is called "Mao's Last Dancer". It is a story about how this poor peasant boy who born in the regime under Mao Zedong to become a famous international ballerina. Although I'm not very familiar with the historical background, you can see how powerful is Mao's propaganda throughout the story.
When I was in college, I had studied propaganda art in an art history class. The most common tools are posters, cartoons, or even paintings and monuments. However, using ballet as a propaganda is wicked, but compelling. The beauty and energy of this art form is irresistable. I think "The Red Detachment of Women" is the most well-known propaganda ballet produced by the National Ballet of China, which followed "Giselle" by Bolshoi Ballet of the Soviet Union.
In the story, the author recalled the popular Chinese fable again and again that those people in his hometown were "frogs in the well" during that time, they could never see or have any knowledge of the outside world, and they were even being misled that they were having the best living standard in the world while they only had dried yams and tree bark to stuff their stomachs everyday. Although, the author had to be separated from his beloved friends and family, he never gave up his dream. He found freedom and success at the end of the story, his dream had come true after all those years of hard work with passion and determination.
Sometimes, sacrifice has to be made, and we have to be brave to make choices and believe ourselves to persist until we found what we want most in life.
Moreover, I just found out that his book has also become a movie, it was first premiered in September last year. I would love to see the movie too, hope there is a chance to be presented in Hong Kong.
Thank you so much for all the people who gave me a birthday greeting on facebook, msn, sms or phone, especially for those who threw me a birthday party or even gave me a birthday present! I feel beloved and blessed to have every one of you. I wish I can achieve all the goals I set for myself this year.
I would like to mention one special gift from my dear friend Cally, she handmade a cell phone strap to me. She really knows me very well that I’m a ballet lover and I like both pearl and rose , so she tailor-made this unique cell phone strap includes all my favorite elements. Thank you soooo much, Cally! You're just GREAT!!!
Few days ago, I heard a heartbreaking news from a friend that our friend from the ballet class got skin cancer. We all knew each other in a beginner's class 2 years ago, we saw each other nearly every week during the first year, so a friendship was built between us, we all became good friends and we even hang out sometimes after class. We went shopping, had turkey crusine, watched dance performances, throw christmas parties and barbecue, etc. Since a few of them haven't come to class as often as before and we haven't seen each other for a very long time, we planned to have a re-union dinner. When one of my friend called to invite her to join the dinner few days ago, she told my friend about her illness. The last time I saw her was at our ballet school performance 3 months ago, she looked perfectly fine and healthy on that day. Unfortunately, just twelve weeks later, we suddenly acknowledged that cancer has already spread around her body, and she was at the 3rd stage; no medical treatment can be used to heal her sickness. I was so shocked when I heard the news, I can't believe that is real. She is only in her twenties and she lives a normal life like us, I just can't accept the truth. Tears was running out of my eyes, a clog was in my throat, I couldn't speak for a moment and I didn't sleep well at night. How sad and unfortunate is this! Why this has to be happened on a kind and hardworking girl who is looking forward to a bright future? Because of her illness, she has to quit her post-graduate study and give up her dreams. Life is unfair and unpredictable. How fragile is human kind! You just never know what will happen next! Sometimes we just feel helpless, nothing we can do to change the destiny. What we can do is to cherish everything we have, family and friends, time and opportunities. I wish that friend of mine can spend the rest of her life happily, live as long as she can and never give up, because everyone of us loves her and will support her until the end. Let us pray for her!
While I don't have any new update of my "Pas de Chat" yet, I would like to introduce my previous painting to all of you. If you guys have visited my website, you have probably seen it before. This painting is called "Treasure Your Time". I painted it with mixed media on wood. Obviously, this is a painting about myself, but there are actually some hidden meanings which lie beneath besides the girl who paints and dances at the same time.
When you first look at it, you'll find that this wooden panel has weird curvy unsymmetrical edges and you may not know what that reflective silver surface is. Having this doubt is very understandable, since you're looking at this piece of artwork on your monitor. However, if you have a chance to take a look at the real painting, I'm sure you will have a very different experience. Let me guide you through the viewing of this piece of art.
Okay, let's start from the middle where a rabbit is looking right at you! Mr. Rabbit is asking you to see what he's holding in both hands. On his right hand, he's holding a color palette nicely for his dear companion, Miss Painting Ballerina. Does the shape of that color palette look familiar to you? Yes! It is the shape of this wooden panel, I actually painted on a palette which is used to mix paints normally. So, that antique frame on the wall is originally a hole for you to hold the palette with your fingers; and now I transform it to a mirror that you can see yourself as a part of the painting when you look at the real thing. I wish my painting can interact with my audiences in this way. Back to Mr. Rabbit, he's holding on to the chain of the cuckoo clock with his left hand. The clock strikes twelve, and the cuckoo bird pops out!
12 o'clock is the start and the end of a day, time to think about our life. I hope this painting can remind you all to treasure your time to do what you love to do like me. I picked up ballet again after I stepped into my twenties. Although I can never be a professional ballerina, I feel like a ballerina when I dance in my pointe shoes and I am happy. At the same moment, I work so hard to be a painter which I always want to.
Pursue your dream with no regrets. It's never too late! Treasure your time!!!
This is the book "Mao's Last Dancer" by Li Cunxin
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