Nan Hua Performing Arts Group/ TimesLive News/Break News 南非泰晤士報綵排天龍隊

A local performing arts group from Gauteng’s Shan Nan Hua Buddhist temple stunned presidents Xi and Ramaphosa with their skills in traditional Chinese drumming — and Mandarin
27 August 2023 - 00:00
Rorisang Kgosana
Reporter
Fo gang Shan Nan-Hua Performing Arts Group performed for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to South Africa this week.
Fo gang Shan Nan-Hua Performing Arts Group performed for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to South Africa this week.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
The Fo Guang Shan Nan Hua Performing Arts Group sounds very exotic — but they are young, black, local women who choose to express themselves through Chinese art.

Nine members of the group stunned President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping with their performance on Tuesday when they played traditional Chinese drums at the Union Buildings during Xi’s state visit.
More was to come — they shocked the two heads of state by addressing Xi in Mandarin after their act.

The arts group, based at the Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, was established nine years ago by the late Hsing Yun, founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist monastic order, with the aim of helping young, black, South African women to enter the performing arts industry.

In their traditional orange Chinese gear, they beat the large Chinese drums with sticks, ending each set with a kung-fu stance.

The women practise at the temple every day. This year 25 new recruits joined the programme.

They come from all over Gauteng, including Bronkhorstspruit, Hammanskraal, Benoni and Daveyton. What they all have in common is an interest in Chinese culture and the performing arts.

Emily Kubayi, 29, from Temba, Hammanskraal, has been with the group since its inception in 2014. She was volunteering at a school for adults when she heard about the programme from a teacher.

Kubayi said she had thought it would be about sports and computer courses.

“When I arrived and found out that it would be Chinese and African arts, I got interested,” she said. “The first year was hectic. We had training from 5am to 5pm, including exercise in the morning and afternoon, and classes and drumming in between.”

Among other things, Kubayi has performed the dragon dance, carrying the mythical beast’s head and manoeuvring on skates.
“The nine years here have been good. We travel a lot and meet new people and new cultures. It is so different out there. Like in Taiwan, we were fed edible flowers,” she said.
Kubayi is now one of the teachers at the temple.

One of the new recruits this year is Refilwe Makhubu, 22, who matriculated last year from East Rand School of Arts, where she excelled in dance and drama.

“I thought I was going to study dance or art but I decided to join in February. My teachers were very upset about it because I got distinctions for dance and my family were sceptical too,” she said. But the performance for Ramaphosa and Xi had converted the sceptics, she said.

The group received an e-mail on August 6 from the Presidency, but only a few were told about the upcoming performance for security reasons. The rest only heard last Sunday that they would be performing for two heads of state.

Simangele Chauke, 28, who is one of the teachers, said she immediately searched on the internet to find out what the Brics summit was about. “I honestly had no idea. When I heard Brics, I thought it was related to buildings and actual bricks,” she said, as her fellow performers laughed.

I honestly had no idea. When I heard Brics, I thought it was related to buildings and actual bricks
Simangele Chauke
Paballo Nchodu, 24, said: “Ramaphosa actually saw our videos on YouTube and as we were about to perform and were standing, feeling very nervous, he started to imitate our moves and that made us feel at ease.”

After their performance, they had a brief chat with Xi in Mandarin. “He smiled at us. I have never seen [him] smile but he smiled at us.”

The women shook hands with the two leaders.

“President Ramaphosa has the softest hands,” said Kubayi. Chauke added: “We even said we won’t be washing our hands afterwards.”

The performing arts course takes three years, said temple manager Hui Xing. On completing it, participants can remain and work at the temple if they choose.
He said the group had come fourth in South Africa’s Got Talent several years ago. “Since 2015, the group has performed in mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and the US,” he said.
The 15th BRICS Summit 2023 ---Perform for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping
Nan Hua Performing Arts Group was invited by the South African government to attend the welcome banquet of the BRICS leaders held at the Bryntirion Estate, the official residence of the South African President on August 22, 2023
2023年第十五屆金砖国家峰会
佛光山南華寺天龍隊受南非政府邀請,於2023年8月22日出席於南非總統官邸Bryntirion Estate 舉行的金磚領導人歡迎宴

Видео Nan Hua Performing Arts Group/ TimesLive News/Break News 南非泰晤士報綵排天龍隊 канала Nan Hua Performing Arts Group 佛光山南非南華寺天龍隊