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    Lotus Award Winning Dance: 'Forever Meshrep'

    Written by: Kang Ruiqin
    Posted on: July 28, 2016 | | 中文

    Lotus Award Winning Dance

    The Lotus Award is one of the most influential awards for the art of dancing in China, an honor that all artists in this field would strive for. On November 29, 2013, the 9th China Lotus Dance Awards were announced in Shanghai, and the dance poem “Forever Meshrep”, created and performed by the Dilinar Art Troupe of the Xinjiang Art Theatre Singing and Dancing Group, drew a lot of attention, winning several prizes, including Gold Medal for the best piece, the special award of the Judging Committee, best costume design, and silver medals for two dancers. Not long ago, two pieces from the New Jade Singing and Dance Group from Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, won a gold medal for best folk dance with its “Kunlun Mountain Dream” and a performance bronze medal with a piece named “Girls of Yutian”. Xinjiang dancers proved again that they deserved their reputation as coming from a place called the “Hometown of Singing and Dancing”.

    As a traditional dance entertainment for gatherings, Meshrep is indispensable for the Uyghur people of Xinjiang. The award-winning piece Forever Meshrep originally developed from a program performed by renowned dancer Dilinar, the Wedding Meshrep, during the performance tour conducted by the Xinjiang Singing and Dancing Group on the occasion of the 15th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s Return in 2012.

    Mr. Aniwar Semat, head of the Xinjiang Singing and Dancing Group introduced the creation process of Forever Meshrep to the reporter on November 29.

    Lotus Award Winning Dance: Forever Meshrep

    Inspired by the success of the primary dance, the creation team of the Xinjiang Singing and Dancing Group refined the piece and put it on stage in Urumqi during the 3rd China Xinjiang International Folk Dance Festival in August of 2013 and received lots of favorable comments. The dancers participating in the Festival from Georgia even asked for a visit to the rehearsal of the dance. Later, just around the Korban Eid Festival in October, a piece of news came, saying that Forever Meshrep was included in the shortlist of the year’s Lotus Award. The director and choreographers went to Beijing and consulted senior experts for suggestions on further improving the dance to win the competition. Finally, their hard work harvested its satisfactory reward. From among dozens of dances with huge investments, the small cost production Forever Meshrep became one of the biggest winners. 

    With the sound of a child crying, the graceful dance starts under the moonlight. Spring comes with aspiration for prosperity of crops and breeding, people dance at the Meshrep in the green fields; in autumn fields waved with golden wheat, they dance at the Meshrep for the harvest…. People work and dance in fields and the desert, under the grape vines and the sky. Basically, it is a dance representative of their beautiful life.

    The dancing poem takes the life of a Uyghur couple as its main focus, and incorporates the four most important moments in their lives, namely, the first meeting, falling in love, the wedding and child-birth; these are presented in 7 chapters: the prelude, the ending, and five representative Meshrep episodes with scenes of cultivation, relaxation, harvest, punishment and praise, wedding and birth celebration, natural landscapes, etc., all displayed vividly and incisively through different dance forms.

    Lotus Award Winning Dance: Forever Meshrep

    “Why we named it as ‘Forever Meshrep’?” said Mr. Aniwar Semat, “Because Meshrep is the tradition that Uyghur people have had for generations; our ancestors held it during various important occasions in our lives and we hold it now; and so will our next generation. No matter whether it is in the past, present, or in the future; just like Meshrep witnesses the birth of a child, the growth and reproduction as always will last for as long as life goes on.”

    The Lotus Awarding Committee gave the following comment on the dance of Forever Meshrep: “This work is a refined production full of ethnic flavor, expressing strong ethnic sentiment, as well as positive energy. It is impressively performed and has received enthusiastic feedback from the audience.”

    Dilinar Abdullar, the head dancer and choreographer, believes that the high appraisal given by professionals and the audience was actually the affirmation of the cultural development and prosperity of Xinjiang. The environment of a harmonious coexistence of diverse cultures was what enabled such a wonderful creation with rich ethnic and cultural connotations and presentation.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021