Dancers from Guangdong Song and Dance Ensemble perform Dragon Boat Racing at Lincoln Center in New York, Jan 7. [Photo/Culturalink.gov.cn]

Guangdong Song and Dance Ensemble put on dance drama Dragon Boat Racing at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York on Jan 7. The dance drama marks the start of "2016 Happy Chinese New Year" in New York.

Zhang Qiyue, Chinese consul general in New York, presented the debut along with the representatives from Lincoln Center, New York Film Academy, New York Public Library, University of Rochester, Princeton University, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York and Lang Lang International Music Foundation as well as many local performing artists in New York.

Dragon Boat Racing is one of the "Image China" projects of Chinese Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG). CAEG aims to use "Image China" (a series of performances) to introduce traditional Chinese culture and performing arts around the world.

The dance drama has Cantonese origins. It tells the story about the composition of a Cantonese musician, He Liunian, in the 1930s. Ying Ge dance, a special folk art in Chaoshan district of Guangdong province was added in the drama dance. The elements of drum and dragon boat are also in the dance to fully present the culture of Guangdong province. The Ensemble spent two years on the drama production.

Zhang visited the dancers and praised their high level performance.

David P. Thiele, managing director of the David H. Koch Theater noted that the drama dance was fabulous with the dancers' passionate and energetic performance.