A trip back in time on the Silk Road

Big Breaks

                             Now those roads lead to Hong Kong, as that city hosts the Silk Road Arts Festival (www.silkroadfestival.gov.hk), an array of music, dance, theater performances, lectures and workshops that aim to introduce a new audience to the legacy left by that famed cultural and commercial exchange.
The festival, which runs from October 9 to November 8 in various locations, begins with a musical and costume extravaganza, “Splendors of the Tang Dynasty” (the opening event is sold out). Star power will be further provided by the renowned Japanese musician Kitaro, who will unveil a new musical work composed specially for this festival.
More eclectic offerings include ‘New & Old Myths of Tuva,’ featuring throat singers from that remote region; ‘Buddhist Music: Treasures From the Silk Road,’ performed by ensembles from three different monasteries; a performance by the Georgian National Dance Company Sukhishvili, intriguingly described as “a potent combination of mystical grace and virtuosic feats producing a magical encounter with ethereal women and heroic warriors.”
In addition, the ‘All About Silk’ lecture will focus on the making and trade of silk, and many of the festival’s performers will also be hosting lectures and demonstrations to discuss their crafts. For those seeking more active participation, workshops will be given on Kazakh and Uighur dance and Persian percussion, as well as a class from the contemporary dance group Shen Wei Dance Arts.
A selection of films offers some intimate portraits of lives along the Silk Road. The series includes the China-Japan co-production ‘The Silk Road’; ‘Azur and Asmar,’ an animated tale from France; and ‘Ashik-Kerib,’ a surrealist romance from Georgia.
For more information and a full schedule, visit the festival’s website. Ticketing and registration are currently available through www.urbtix.hk or by calling (852) 2734-9009.