The bilateral events, the Year of China in France and the Year of France in China between 2003 and 2005, ended last September. However, cross-culture communications between the two countries has never stopped.

This year, the Festival Croisements presented more than 100 shows and exhibitions featuring French artists collaborating with Chinese counterparts in 10 cities in China from April 20 to June 11.

To the artists from both countries, it was an opportunity to share and exchange; to Chinese people, it was another treat to savour in relation to French culture and arts.

"The Year of China and the Year of France were very successful in both countries. Many people were involved and thousands of events were launched. We had a fantastic time working with the Chinese officials, artists and people from all walks of life. Therefore, we would like to extend the collaboration," says Pierre-Jean de San Bartolome, deputy director of the France Culture Centre in China.

He told China Daily that the specific idea of the Festival Croisements is to have French and Chinese artists working together.

"It is not difficult to invite French artists or ensembles to perform in China, but the impact of such tours are not as deep or good as the ones where the artists work together in forums, workshops or master classes for a time before showcasing the creation," says San Bartolome, one of the heads that co-ordinated the French side of the Year of France in China and the Year of China in France.

"The purpose is not only to showcase French arts and culture in China, but also to provide opportunities for people from both China and France to learn from each other in a variety of ways, to share and exchange."

The veteran culture official worked on the annual Asia-France Festival from 1989 to 1998, which had artists from Asian countries such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and India creating with those from France.

"Their different cultural and social backgrounds and life experiences produce inspiration when they work together," he added.

San Bartolome also revealed that as an extension of the Year of France in China, they would continue to launch Festival Croisements in China every spring.

Under the direction of the France Culture Centre and the Embassy of France in China, the two-month long Festival Croisements 2006 included shows of music, dance, theatre, circus and visual arts.

Musicians from both countries brought a variety of concerts ranging from classical opera to contemporary and fusion works.

In terms of classical music, the French director Jean Louis Pichon directed Shanghai Opera House to perform Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers" under the baton of Zhang Guoyong. The cast included Chinese tenor Zhang Jianyi, soprano Xu Xiaoying and baritone Yang Xiaoyong.

In Beijing, under the baton of its artistic director Tan Lihua, Beijing Symphony Orchestra gave a concert at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on May 21, playing Berlioz and Saint-Saens' pieces with the 28-year-old French organ player Erwan Le Prado.

In the second half of the concert, the orchestra played some parts of the Chinese opera "Peony Pavilion" composed by the French composer Hacene Larbi. Chinese director Ning Chunyan directed the play, which premiered in Paris in 2001.

As for the contemporary music, a couple of Chinese musicians collaborated with French artists to fuse and improvise music in live concerts.

Wang Lei and the French Dub band Hightone performed in Beijing on May 19, in Shanghai on May 20 and Guangzhou on May 21.

The Chinese flutist Li Shan, 28, gave the concerts Fusion/Tradition with French musician Mars (Olivier Nestelhut) who played the traditional Chinese two-stringed instrument erhu in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi'an, Dalian and Guangzhou.

Mars fell in love with the erhu by chance when he visited Shanghai in 1992. During that trip, he bought a Chinese erhu and began to practice the instrument on his own.

Dance

In terms of dance, the National Ballet of China presented the renowned French choreographer Roland Petit's "Carmen," "L'Arlesienne" and Act Three of "Raymonda" at the Tianqiao Theatre on May 5 to 7. Chinese ballerina Zhu Yan and Wang Qimin danced with the stars Manuel Legris and Benjamin Pech from Opera de Paris.

The collaboration between Roland Petit and the National Ballet of China was a highlight event during the Year of France in China. The 81-year-old master was deeply impressed by the dancers especially the ballerina Wang Qimin and fell in love with the company immediately. He even said that their performance of "Carmen" and "L'Arlesienne" were the best since he created them.

The other world-famous French name, the fashion designer Pierre Cardin initiated a song and dance show combining French chansons such as "Edith Piaf," "Jacques Brel," "Sous le ciel de Paris" and "La vie en rose" and Chinese ballet and contemporary dance. Cardin designed all the costumes for the show.

The French singer Gerard Chambre and his band gave a live show while Gaoyan Jinzi from the Beijing Modern Dance Company and Xu Gang from the National Ballet of China were commissioned to choreograph the show that premiered at Beijing's Century Theatre on May 12 and 13 and then toured Paris in July.

The popular French hip hop dancer and choreographer Najib Guerfi worked with Ma Qiang and Cao Peizhong from Beijing Modern Dance Company to create "Babel" and the show was performed in Beijing on May 25 and 26 and then moved to Shanghai on May 28.

Drama

In the theatre scene, the Paris-based Chinese director Ning Chunyan directed Eugene Lonesco's 1960 anti-Nazi play "Rhinoceros" with the cast from the China National Drama Theatre Company. The play was staged at China Children's Art Theatre from May 25 to 27.

Chinese director Wei Xiaoping joined hands with Michel Didym to present the French playwright Serge Valletti's work "Mr. Armand, Known as Garricha."

It's the story of how Mr. Armand, an obscure soccer player of the Marseille Junior Olympic team, saved the life of the greatest Brazilian soccer player of all time, Manoel Francisco dos Santos known as Garrincha, by refusing to face him at the stadium in June 1955, and of how he saved the whole Botafogo team at the same time.

Director Catherine Marnas worked with 21 students from the China Central Academy of Drama to present Moliere's play "Don Juan" from May 27 to June 5.

Exhibitions

In addition to the performing arts, China National Museum of Arts hosted three major exhibitions: the Treasures of Baccarat from April 21 to June 7, video and photographic works by the multifaceted artist Alain Fleischer from April 21 to May 7, and the photographer Brassai's works from May 12 to June 11.

The renowned French luxury brand, creator of crystal objects since 1764, Baccarat brings to China 300 masterpieces from its heritage - some of which have never be shown outside France.

Through three themes: Art and Light, Art and Design and Art and the French Way of life, the scenographer Jean Oddes designs the layout of the exhibition especially conceived for the Beijing Museum of Fine Arts.

Alain Fleisher's works were exhibited at Guangdong Museum of Arts from May 16 to June 11 and some of his videos were shown at a joint exhibition called China-France at Beijing's Dashanzi Arts Festival from April 29 to May 7, together with works by young filmmakers from France's Fresnov National Contemporary Art Studio and China's Central Academy of Fine Arts.

At Beijing's Guozijian, the China Imperial College, the exhibition "Memory and Oblivion" running from June 10 to July 10 presented the works of Braco Dimitrijevic, the 56-year-old French artist of Yugoslavian origin and a master of conceptual art, and works of Huang Yan, 40, a famous Chinese contemporary artist.

Both work on the theme of memory, one by integrating original masterpieces in his installations, while the other uses the body, more specifically the face, which he paints in the Chinese tradition.

(China Daily 10/25/2006 page22)