From China With Love

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Tickets for a two week trip to China, so sayeth Kayak, are clocking in this morning at $780 to fly to Beijing. Luckily, one need not journey any further than Place Des Arts to sample Chinese performing arts. The Middle Kingdom comes to Montreal over the next few weeks with a festival called Spectacular China. The international friendship tour is taking singers, musicians, and performers to seven cities across Canada including Toronto, Winnipeg, and Montreal, as a way to show that the giant in the East is more than just ipod manufacturing.

Things begin with Carnival 2014 China’s Spring Gala. Acrobats, dancers, singers, and traditional musicians from different ethnic groups such as Han, Uygur, Mao, and Yi perform with Quebec cellist Vincent Bélanger. The Carnival has performed annually for six years in 17 cities in the US and Canada. Salle Wilfred Pelletier, Feb 15. 8 p.m. $32-75

The China National Theatre for Children offers a double program with two shows for children, Abracadabra! and the Three Little Pigs. The two shows are translated ahead of time by Gaspard and Dalhia, the hosts of the PDA Junior series. Cinquième Salle. Feb 16th. 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. $16.

Fault Lines is a contemporary dance piece performed by the 16-person Leshan Song and Dance and choreographed by New Zealand’s Sara Brodie. This modern dance performance pays tribute to victims of the Sichuan earthquake of 2008. In particular, seven of the performers were personally affected by the earthquake in Wenchuan, as their families were in the epicenter of the most devastated region. Cinquieme Salle, Feb 20-March 1st, 8 p.m. $30.

The OSM offers two China themed concerts with Spotlight on China. Chinese soloists (Jian Wang on cello; Quin Jun and Jin Kai, both on traditional Chinese bamboo flutes) are performing. Maestro Long Yu conducts the OSM in the works of Gougeon (Toy), Tchaikovsky (Variations on a Rococo Theme), Qigang Chen (Enchantements oubliés), and Shostakovitch (Symphony No. 5). Maison Symphonique Feb 26 and 27 , 8 p.m. $42-199

Hamlet gets a retelling by the Peking Opera with the Shanghai Jingju Company’s The Revenge of Prince Zidan. The troupe has performed around the world, including at the Edinburgh Festival. Theatre, dance, and music come together in hits visual spectacular. Feb 28, March 1st, 7:30 p.m. $57/41/29