'Sky In Their Eyes' debuts late on Friday

A music and dance performance, called "Sky In Their Eyes: The Antelope in a Vanishing Landscape", had been performed live for the very first time on the night of November 24 at the Raphael Room at London's famous V and A museum as part of Friday Late: Sino Flux, a celebration of the contemporary art, design, sounds and states of China.

Unique costumes, animal masks and especially composed music and dance, visitors had explored a journey of tragedy and hope through this fashion and dance theater, created by Chinese artist and designer Xu Rui.

Xu Rui and the performers.

The story was told through the eyes of the magnificent and gentle antelope family who have stood proudly as wardens of the land and existed harmoniously with nature for thousands of years. Their habitat was once vast, yet with the expansion of cities it is quickly disappearing. As well as the deterioration of their environment and lack of food, they also face slaughter from human beings.

Through personalizing the antelopes, Xu Rui reinterprets the antelope family, endowing them with the traditional Chinese aesthetic character of 'Junzi,' which has a similar meaning to a gentle man.

Their humbleness and death in huge numbers has finally raised people's awareness to their plight. No matter how difficult the situation is, antelopes stand like hermits overlooking the wilderness, with determination and transparency in their beautiful eyes. In their eyes, there is the reflection of the clear sky along with nobility, sacredness, love and generosity.

Designer Xu Rui expressed her wish,"I hope to explore the beautiful eyes of these wild animals. I hope to raise awareness and thinking to our environment, the city we live in, also hope in animals' eyes through my design. Giving animals an opportunity means to give ourselves the same one."

Stage photo of "Sky In Their Eyes".

Visitors were deeply impressed by the performance. Avaoon drew sketches while watching the show. "I thought it was striking. It took over the space very well. And it is really powerful. I think everyone watching fell silent and affected by it. The costume was beautiful. I thought masks were really cool", said Avaoon.

Felix was a visitor from Germany. He thought the show was something more than a dance. "It was an expression of feelings, fear and friendship. To transport all those emotions, you have to be very good artists. I think they did very well", said Felix.

Xu Rui invited 11 dancers from the UK and many other countries around the world, and together with Spanish musician, creating this woeful but beautiful story.

Performer dancing with the animal mask on.

Amy Grubb, dance designer and choreographer of the show, thought it was a great honor to work with Rui. "She is a very talented designer. To work with V and A museum in London is also a great privilege. But I think the most important thing for me was the meaning of the piece, the meaning how we are trying to tell a story, and show how we should be protecting animals, not destroying their lands, not exploiting animals", said Amy.

Friday Late at the V and A, the original contemporary late night museum event, is held on the last Friday of the month (except May and December). Established in 1999, the Friday Late program celebrates all aspects of contemporary visual culture using the V and A collection and building as its inspiration.

This is the first time for V and A to concentrate on Chinese theme, showing China's contemporary art, design, sounds and states of China in flux.

Audiences of "Sky In Their Eyes".

As curator of Friday Late Program, Bethan Johnson spoke highly of Chinese artists and designers for their creative thinking and design in expressing their reflections on the world. "As a museum, we are really interested in arts and designs coming out of China in the fields timely to speak about it because all of changes are happening in China, particularly thinking about how it is repositioning itself in a kind of globalized world", said Bethan.

Xiang Xiaowei, Chinese Minister Counselor for Culture of the Chinese Embassy in UK, regarded the performance as a landmark to present Chinese design and cultural values. He emphasized,"We should not just simply take it as a fashion design, but we have seen its combination of new ideas in relating to mask, design, music and fashion itself. Most important thing is the idea of protecting our environment and endangered species. I think that is really the key to understand the values of new China now as it presents".

(CGTN)