A Day in New York, A Different Shanghai
This summer, New York will welcome a cultural feast full of Shanghai splendor. Heeding the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ invitation, the Center for China Shanghai International Arts Festival and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts itself will hold the event Summer for the City– Shanghai Day on July 26th. Across more than ten events, the audiences in New York will see artworks from Shanghai where classics blend with innovation, where fashion interweave with heritage, where youthfulness meet passion, experiencing the originality and cultural creativeness of Chinese artists.
With ballet artist Tan Yuanyuan, also lovingly known as “Shanghai’s Daughter” as the artistic director, Shanghai Grand Theatre’s Original Dance Lady White Snake sheds away its old skin and returns anew in the Year of the Snake, making its overseas premier in the David H. Koch Theater. The dance retells the story of The Legend of the White Snake with a contemporary perspective, demonstrating the power of women, echoing the work’s core message: Be real, be you.
The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra brings 12 Chinese zodiac animal-themed folk music pieces in the concert The Twelve Animal Zodiac Signs in Chinese Music, including Drumming Tiger, The Mischievous Monkey and more, combined with light-hearted videos in the background. It brings the charm of folk music closer to audiences; the “Eastern Light Party” brings the timeless animation Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven by Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which uses fantastical imagination and colorful scenes of classical Chinese art to portray the folklore hero Sun Wukong for the American audience.
Music transcends borders, culture builds bridges. In Summer for the City– Shanghai Day, game music, Shanghai jazz, DJ dance music, and street dance performances will make to the stage one after another. The game Arknights, a “Shanghai production,” has gained a massive fan base since its launch. Its live concert brand, “Ambience Synesthesia,” even won the Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA). For this event, the Arknights concert carefully selected tracks beloved by American audiences, showcasing the crossover appeal and global reach of game music. The “Music Carnival” also features a mix of street dance, Shanghai jazz, and a “Summer for the City”-style silent disco, bringing a burst of globally popular elements adored by contemporary youth to the vibrant summer music scene in New York.
In addition, the “Shanghai City Fair” will take the form of a marketplace to showcase Shanghai’s intangible cultural heritage, game and anime culture, and creative brands. Special “Shanghai Day Limited Edition” drinks and featured delicacies will also be available on the day. Over the course of a single day, “Shanghai Day” will bring the rhythm of Haipai (Shanghai-style) culture to New York’s summer through a rich blend of visual, auditory, and culinary experiences.