My #TBT =#ThrowbackTravels #3: Dynamic Yunnan show in Kunming 2009 [Peacock dance]

The peacock dance is one of the most famous traditional folklore dance of the Dai minority in China.

Peacock dance

The picture above is one I took during a show I caught with my parents during a trip to Kunming back in 2010. Dancer and choreographer Yang Li Ping, is world famous for her interpretation of the peacock dance which she has perfected at the early start of her career to make it her own. Yang Li Ping herself directed and choreographed the entire show where she drew a lot of her inspiration from her country's ethnic tribes, nature and wildlife. A year before that, we caught the same show while it was touring and made a stop in Taiwan. I feel very lucky to have seen this amazing show twice. I felt even more lucky to have seen Yang Li Ping herself during the tour while the show in Kunming featured her very talented apprentice. Although her apprentice was amazing, most people agree that Yang Li Ping's talent is uncomparable. Dynamic Yunnan is absolutely amazing and mesmerizing. Few dances could leave me speechless like this show did.

This particular dance, Moon-Solo Dance, left me utterly speechless. You can watch it on Youtube but if you could see it in person, you would definitely get goosebumps from the raw talent exuded by Yang Li Ping.

Dynamic Yunnan-Country of Daughters

This dance is called "Country of Daughters" which I had the chance to dance our own interpretation of it when I was part of a Chinese dance troupe back in Montreal. It was intense and emotional. I loved every second of dancing it.

Pictures taken by me.

My #TBT = #ThrowbackTravels #2: Beijing 2009

Inside Beijing National Aquatic Center aka Water Cube in 2009

This picture was taken before (or maybe after?) jumping into the Olympic-sized pool inside the Beijing National Aquatic Center also known as the Water Cube; where the 2008 Summer Olympics swimming competitions took place. 25 world records were set here and Michael Phelps famously won 8 gold medals.

Okay, so the public was not allowed to swim in the actual pool where the competitions took place but we were allowed to swim in the warm-up pool which was almost just as big and awesome. To be able to swim in the pool, you had to pay a fee, make a photo ID and pass a lap test (3 full-length laps if I remember correctly).

The pool was awesome. I had never swam in an Olympic sized pool before but have been in plenty of crappy pools to know the difference. It felt super easy to swim in there and it is as if you were swimming in an open ocean. I wasn't imagining it. It is known to be one of the fastest pools in the world. Because of its record pool depth, the waves dissipate down to the bottom creating less disturbance to other swimmers and perforated walls on the side also absorb all the waves. It was the best swim of my life- in a pool. I think the best swim of my life was during our trip to Hawaii.

The Water Cube is now the venue for multiple shows and cultural events as well as home to a huge water park, complete with slides, spa, wave pool and more. I guess they needed a way to make money and selling souvenirs and charging for tours and pool memberships was not sustainable.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to swim in there just about a year after the 2008 Olympics and a year before it was teared down for renovations.

x
Thanks for reading!

My #TBT: #ThrowbackTravels #1

Yu Shu Palace , China  2009

This was taken by me on a set of a documentary about an adopted girl and Tai Chi . I was "working" (I worked for free but all expenses paid and generous stipend included) as an interpreter for 3 months in China. I saw some really amazing hidden places. This was an old abandoned palace in the middle of a developing city. I can't remember the name of the city where we shot this.