DANCE REVIEW : Imperial Bells of China at Orange County Performing Arts Center

At about the time members of the Imperial Bells of China, a 65-member song and dance ensemble from Hubei Province, were re-enacting a prettified version of a historical entertainment Saturday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, Chinese soldiers were crushing the 3-week-old student sit-in for democracy at Tian An Men Square.

It was not a seemly time for glorifying the “Music and Dance of the Emperors,” as the program booklet announced. Further, there was an unintentional but horrifying reminder of the events of the day in a selection entitled, “Eulogy: For Those Fallen for Their Country.”

Not that much sense of authentic connection--either historic or folkloric--actually had been breached.

Inspired by the discovery in an archeological dig of bronze bells dating back some 2,400 years, the program was billed as an attempt to recreate court and country life of the era. But the results were too often kitschy tourist vignettes, with more posing than movement.

In “Martial Dance,” spear-carrying warriors took wide-stance attitudes while their leader, when not flourishing his huge red cape, executed a few Bolshoi-style running split-jumps or multiple one-legged turns.

In “Dance of the Ba People,” hunters in leopard skirts stomped a single step in each direction and eventually gathered into a circle. The dance gave new meaning to the word rudimentary.

In “Farming Dances,” graceful women with pasted-on smiles plucked imaginary mulberry leaves for equally imaginary silk worms. Later, couples plowed the fields with unstinting energy and commendable zeal.

The action took place in flaring red, rose, orange, blue and purple lighting. Fortunately, an acrobat occasionally dazzled with flights of somersaults or multiple backward flips across the stage.

To be sure, nobody had promised authenticity. Gregory Peck’s lofty, pompous recorded introductory remarks frequently utilized the phrase “inspired by” some distant event or poem. And the bells were, of course, replicas.

What did they sound like?

Like bells.

They rang, they chimed, they tinkled, they clanged, they clanked, they clunked.

They were pinged, they were tapped, they were struck, they were hit, they were whacked.

Other instrumentalists played solos on transverse flute, panpipes and a gourdlike instrument. Vocalists also exhibited artistry, including some fine comedy.

To close, the company applauded the audience and many in the audience rose and applauded back.

Just after the final curtain, however, a man in the first tier called out, “A moment of silence for the victims of Tian An Men Square.” But the Segerstrom Hall audience seemed a bit uncertain of what to do. There was hesitation, reflection and scattered applause in response.