Saturday, September 6, 2008

The Dancer's Secret -- A Short Horse Story

It was sunset. The wind rode on the sharp edges of the mountains dragging the last bit of color away from the darkening hills. In a small cradle of two hills lay a beautiful girl. Her hair was long and soft, and when it touched the wind no other beauty could compare to it. She had a long face and brilliant searching brown eyes. Her feet were perfectly conformed, but were not like everybody else's who surrounded her. This girl's belly was not thin and it was not bulging, but was somewhere in between, and was the perfect shape. She stood up. Her long hair covering her body like a coat. The wind pushed against her forehead, cooling the nearly invisible sweat.

Others gathered around her, watching her intently. She began to move in a slow, but upbeat rhythm. It grew very quiet. The others continued to look at her, and started to wonder why she had begun to dance when the music hadn't started. The girl's curves moved back and forth and her hands danced their own dance around her stomach. Back and forth she moved until the earth seemed to move and the mountains rumble. The grass quivered back and forth at the eerie silence. She stopped. The ring of quiet shadowed everyone's ears. The beautiful girl opened her mouth. A long sweet tone emerged from her lips. The gazing onlookers listened intently to the wonderful sound. The girl dropped down to a very low pitch and then swerved back up like a bird that was getting too close to the ground. She sang and sang as if she were pouring her inside beauty out to the others. Her voice stopped, and once again silence covered everything.

The girl's body began to move again, but this time it was much slower and seemed more meaningful. Soon the others were bobbing their heads and moving to something unheard. It was the music of their souls. The girl sped up her dance, leaving all of the others to dance their own rhythm. Soon the girl was dancing so hard to the music inside of her that she suddenly stopped and began to run. Blood thumped in her temples and her gorgeous hair flowed back away from her face. Her long sleek body seemed to move with the wind, and her feet with the earth. The girl ran and ran, and when she got to the top of her favorite hill she stopped. Her breathing came harshly, making her nostrils flare for air. She smiled and took a minute to grasp the beauty around her. The smell of wild flowers hung in her nostrils, and the earth cuddled her feet. In the near distance she spotted a small forest and hundreds of night creatures lurking about. Quickly she turned around to look at the others. Their music was still playing within their bodies. The girl was satisfied. Once again she had taught to listen not only to your mind but also to the music, the real music that plays inside of you.

The girl began to laugh. This was no ordinary laugh though -- it was a laugh that was a slightly haunting and scary. Her eyes sparkled and she laughed on. Once again she had gotten away with her secret. Once again she had done something all of the others said she couldn't do. The girl reared up in triumph, showing off her glimmering hoofs and long mane. A long whinny rose from her throat and she galloped home.

The dancer's secret was revealed...

Randall Holman, site owner of Front Range Frenzy and horse enthusiast, is the author of the above short story. You can find easy and practical basic horse care information on his website: http://www.FrontRangeFrenzy.com.

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The Divine Beauty of Traditional Chinese Culture Shines at Radio City Music Hall

As we usher in the Year of the Pig, the divine beauty of the ancient East will come to life in NYC with the now legendary NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular! The 30-city world tour Spectacular will play at Radio City from February 14 17.

Featuring the best of Chinese culture and world-class performers, this unique show portrays genuine traditional Chinese culture and includes classical Chinese dance as well as various traditional dances. Performers have worked hard to emulate the musical style of the ancientsclassical melodies filled with the power of compassion. Showcasing grand stage designs, hand-painted backdrops and authentic costuming from ancient Chinese Dynasties, the theme of Myths and Legends weaves a tale of the proverbial battle between good and evil through theatre, music and dance.

NTDTVs main goal is to revive lost Chinese culture from the ancient past. As you may be aware, in 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party took power in China, its leaders did everything possible to sever the people from their 5,000-year-old culture. Everything moral and spiritual was suddenly uprooted from people's lives--temples and buddhas were destroyed. The arts became a tool for fulfilling political aims, evoking the dark side of human nature. China's folk music was used to serve the communist revolution.

Unfortunately, those born after 1949 have opened their eyes to a spiritual desert. They are no longer familiar with their own heritage, which has been decimated and replaced with the communist-atheist model.

Judging by the growth and success of the Chinese New Year Spectacular, now in its fourth year, I believe that NTDTV has lived up to its word. The Spectacular really does have the effect of removing the communist "wrapping paper" around the essence of traditional Chinese values and beauty. It is not surprising that the show ranked 7th on Billboard Magazines top 10 shows in Feb 2006 based on ticket sales for the 2006 shows at Radio City Music Hall.

The Spectacular is a delight to Chinese and Western audiences alikea truly heartwarming event not to be missed. The Chinese New Year Spectacular is the best show ever to appear on stage in North America, said former member of Parliament Simma Holt. I saw the show in Canada and I would like to say to the Chinese Consulate officials, who made a statement saying that the show is political, the fact that some of the atrocities committed by the Chinese regime were re-enacted in the show is nothing unusual; interpretative dance is a feature of all great symphonies, operas and ballets.

Makina Liu is an Arts student living in Canada. For more info aboutthe NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular in your city/area, please visit:http://shows.ntdtv.com

http://www.ntdtv.com

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