Shanghai was again a buzz with world artists singing and dancing on stage and art organizers and promoters discussing business opportunities at the 10th Shanghai International Performing Arts Fair on Monday afternoon.

Chinese musicians play traditional music pieces at the 10th Shanghai International Performing Arts Fair in Shanghai Exhibition Center, on October 20, 2008. [CRI]

The fair is part of the ongoing one-month long 10th China Shanghai International Arts Festival that opened last Saturday at Shanghai's Exhibition Center.

Participating this year's fair are some 30 international giants in the performing arts field, including the International Society of Performing Arts (ISPA) and the International Arts Mangers Association (IAMA).

The fair aims to provide a global platform for art groups and artists to promote their exchanges and open up their market opportunities.

Promotional showcases for the fair also included Nanjing's Little Red Flower Ensemble, which is first time to hit the stage in Shanghai. Childrens of the troupe treated their audiences with a series of energetic dances.

Traditional opera singers perform on the stage as a promotional showcase at the 10th Shanghai International Performing Arts Fair that opens in Shanghai Exhibition Center, on October 20, 2008. [CRI]

Some international arts troupes also went beyond their usual brochures and posters put up at their booths to grab attention of visitors. Rimpparemmi, or Santa Claus, a Finnish folk ensemble, for instance, put on a live performance with dancers dressed in their traditional costumes at a corner of the fair venue.

Arts organizations from Senegal and Slovakia also made the fair even more international. Mr. Thierno Ousmane B?, general director of Dabel Music, a music production company from Senegal, said that it was his troupe's first performance in China.

He also organized a live concert for the Senegalese band Farafina Musso, the first African band to ever take part in the China Shanghai International Arts Festival.

Ms. Susan Stockton, chair-elect to the board of International Society of Performing Arts (ISPA), a global organization of performing arts managers, said that ISPA had been a firm supporter of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival over the past ten years since the annual showcase was established. Susan has full confidence in the arts festival and its prospect for Chinese artists.

A Finnish folk ensemble perform at the 10th Shanghai International Performing Arts Fair in Shanghai Exhibition Center, on October 20, 2008. [CRI]

"I think it's a marvelous opportunity for everyone to be able to be exposed to the very rich cultural traditions that you have here and the possibility that they would be able to tour the world. Festivals like this are very important to introduce the artists and the art forms to many different peoples." Susan said.

(CRI October 21, 2008)