Bamboo Dance

Description

Piano — Composed in 2013, this solo piano work is inspired by the village Bamboo Dancefrom southern China. The aged folk dance has been used for ritual ceremoniesand harvest celebrations throughout history. It features pairs of people holdingthe ends of long bamboo rods and clapping them loudly in a steady pulse, forgroups of dancers to dance between bamboo shapes on the floor, in musicalrhythms and ensemble patterns.The motivic material (a descending 7th) is drawn from a folksong of the Li Peopleof Hainan Island, where the Bamboo Dance is popular. The music reflects thevivid image of this scene. There are moments with hand-over-hand crossings inthe piano.PERFORMANCE NOTESArticulations and changes of dynamics are very significant in performingBAMBOO DANCE.Accidentals remain good through the measure, only for the octave shown and inthe staff shown. Cautionary naturals have been kept to a minimum.— Chen Yi Chen Yi's Bamboo Dance depicts a folk tradition from southern China that has been used for ritual ceremonies and harvest celebrations throughout history. The traditional dance features pairs of people loudly clapping bamboo rods, and groups of dancers pass between bamboo shapes on the floor. Chen Yi's 2-minute setting depicts the rhythm and charm of the folk tradition.