Take a drive through West Columbia or Cayce and you’ll see a landscape dotted with authentic taquerias, a vivid testament to the Hispanic community that has taken root in the Midlands.

There are no such clearly visible symbols of Chinese culture here, but with growing economic ties between South Carolina and China — and two Confucius Institutes established by the Chinese government now operating in the state — it is just a matter of time.
 

Folk Art Ensemble Courtesy photo

This Sunday at the Koger Center, Columbia audiences will have the opportunity to experience Chinese music and dance when the Folk Art Ensemble from the Guizhou region of southwest China performs at 3 p.m. in a program called “Wind from the Plateau.”

“This is the first time they have come to the United States,” says Xian Wu, a math professor at the University of South Carolina who is also involved with the school’s Confucius Institute and has served as president of the Chinese Association of Columbia.

Wu notes that the Folk Art Ensemble, while new to the United States, is no stranger to international touring.

“They have performed in Europe and lots of other countries,” he says.

The group was formed in 1998 at Guizhou University in southwest China — near Myanmar and Laos — as part of an effort to preserve and promote the folk traditions of the Miao, Dong and Yi ethnic minorities on the Yun-gui plateau. It has won numerous awards in China, but perhaps its biggest claim to fame is having performed at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

“It’s different — you don’t see this everyday,” Wu says. “[And] this is just a part of Chinese culture. China has 56 minority groups; this is just [a few]. So people can see how diverse [the culture] is: They all live together but still keep their own cultural characteristics. Of course, it is beautiful.”

The music and dance of ethnic groups — the Miao, Dong and Yi will be featured in the program.

“Each ethnic group has their own culture,” says Confucius Institute instructor Wei Hui. “The costumes and decorations [representing each group] will be different from each other and during the show there will be some explanation and introduction of the different groups and performance styles.”

The program, which includes about 30 performers, will feature music, both vocal and on traditional Chinese instruments, and lots of dancing. It is weighted toward Miao songs and dances, including “Dancing with the Beat of Drums” (a Miao girls group dance), “Love in Spring” (a Miao love song) and “My Colorful Waist Belt” (a three-person Miao dance). The program also includes the Yi folk songs “Madrigal on the Grassland” and “Toasting Song” and the Dong songs “The Cuckoo Is Calling for Spring” and “Cicada’s Song,” among others.

As for the reason to bring the group to Columbia, Wu says the timing fit in with the opening of a Confucius Institute at Presbyterian College at which the Folk Art Ensemble will also perform.

A broader reason, he says, is that cultural understanding needs to follow along with growing economic ties.

“South Carolina is small but its trading with China is nice — it is the top in the South,” Wu says. He also notes the presence of Chinese appliance maker Haier in the state and the strength of USC’s international business program.

Chinese companies have already invested more than $283 million in South Carolina, and in 2007 state officials signed an agreement with China to “establish and designate South Carolina as a preferred location for Chinese businesses to operate,” according to the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

“China and the United States are two great nations,” Wu says. “We need to understand each other better. The best way is through the people.” 

Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students and seniors. To order, visit capitoltickets.com or call 251-2222.