Tibetan choreographer invokes the power of freedom

By Celine Song

There’s a dichotomy in the cultural representation of China’s ethnic minorities. On the one hand is the superficial pomp, replete with traditional vestments and jewelry that bear little relation to the reality of daily life; on the other, a deeper, more spiritual connection to the rituals and mental outlooks that define a people.

Tibetan choreographer Wanma Jiancuo has created dances that adhere to both styles. For CCTV’s Spring Festival Galas, he gives the people what they want: quaintly costumed showpieces that present the clichéd image of Tibet. These money-making ventures allow him greater scope to work on his dance company’s own, more sensitively characterized pieces, which drill deeper into the rich vein of Tibetan heritage and Buddhist beliefs.

“I do feel a strong sense of pride, confidence and responsibility,” says Wanma, who has been refining the voice of his autonomous region for over 20 years. “But I dare not say I feel I hold any sense of mission in spreading the Tibetan culture. Nobody can ever be the spokesman of such a profound culture.”

As a young tyke, he grew up frolicking amidst grasslands and mountains, before being enrolled at the Minzu University of China in 1992 at the age of 12. His father, the director of a dance troupe, was adamant that his son would follow in his footsteps, so Wanma left his idyllic home for the metropolis of Beijing.

Over two decades later and he is now one of the most prominent Tibetan choreographers in China, scooping up awards at home and abroad.

Last summer, the 32-year-old’s company was one of six to take part in the National Centre for the Performing Arts’ Chinese Dance in 12 Days, which premiered a sextet of original performances, each displaying a unique aspect of Middle Kingdom culture. Wanma’s contribution, Shambhala, went on to tour internationally and is now being staged in Shanghai for the first time.

In Tibetan, ‘Shambhala’ means the land of purity and freedom. Ten dancers present a spiritual story without any concrete plot, shot through with a mandala motif drawn in colorful sands that eventually takes over the entire stage. Inspired by the rituals held in Tibetan Buddhist temples, the pattern symbolizes the truth of the universe. As the dance reaches its conclusion, the mandala is destroyed in a whirl of movement, symbolizing the Buddhist view of impermanence.

Through these images, Wanma conveys his thoughts about human faith, values, ideals and actions, as well as the balance between the yearning for freedom and the desire for control. The dance presents a self-exploring journey, a dialogue between body and mind.

The mandala is also commonly associated with meditation, a technique that has been instrumental in the creation of Shambhala.

“Since the very beginning of doing Shambhala, I’ve been reminding myself to slow down, to quiet down,” Wanma explains. “Life in big cities tends to make us flippant and care only about immediate benefits. It’s a common feeling that when you are alone and quiet, you hear more sounds, see more colors and catch more smells; you notice things that have always been there but neglected by you.

“A piece of work is like a mirror and your attitude during the creation directly influences the final representation. When you are quiet, you see yourself more clearly, create with a purer heart, and then you can get to the essence of what you want to express.”

It took Wanma altogether seven years to figure out the entire concept and complete the choreography, which originated with diary entries and fragmental descriptions. The rest of the process was relatively easy – the work was on stage within six months.

Rehearsals took four months. Instead of working on body language or movement, Wanma first focused training on the dancers’ inner feelings and emotions.

“That was the greatest challenge during the creation of this dance. These college students are trained with a relatively stereotyped mode and their performances suffer from homogeneity… But it’s not enough to express just one sort of mood in Shambhala. This dance requires the dancers to turn the outward and simple mood into an inward dialogue with the soul; they should start from a tiny sensitive point in their hearts and allow that feeling to move their bodies.”

Though half of the lead dancers are Tibetan, Wanma is keen to stress that Tibetan ancestry was not essential during casting.

“Though Tibetan culture is the basis of the performance, Shambhala is built upon the spirit of the entire Oriental faith culture.”

// Dec 31-Jan 1, 8pm, RMB80-880. Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center, 1039-1045 Baiyun Dadao Nan, Baiyun District, Guangzhou 广州市白云区白云大道南1039-1045号 (020-3806 3793)