Love In The Time Of Wild Lights

The Wild Lights Lantern Festival has returned to the Louisville Zoo for its fifth year. Along with more than 60 displays depicting animal life, ecosystems, and Chinese mythology that sit along the 1.4-mile path, live performances by Chinese folk dancers and acrobats happen on the MetaZoo stage from Thursday through Sunday.

Two of the performers, Liu Xiang and Peng Xinle, crossed an ocean to be together. As if a nighttime performance in a zoological garden illuminated by larger-than-life lanterns was not quite magical enough, their globe-spanning romance is a part of the diverse cast, and they took a moment between performances to share their story.

"I'm from Sichuan and he's from Hebei Province [in the north]," said Liu. "We got to know each other during a dinner that many performers were at. For safety concerns, he offered to accompany me home afterward, and I was a bit touched by his kindness. Then the story began."

The couple's story led them across continents and to Louisville. "I've been performing for eight years and embarked on my journey learning folk dance since high school," Liu said.

"I started learning and practicing at a very early age, like, when I was six. So it's been almost 16 years,” said Peng.

The couple performs different yet related roles in Wild Lights. Liu explains that her art is bian lian, which can be translated literally from Mandarin to "face-changing," an ancient Chinese dramatic art that is an integral part of the Sichuan Opera. In Sichuan Opera, performers wear vividly colored costumes and masks, usually representing characters within a story. Performers change their masks from one face to another with a movement of a fan or a movement of the head or hands that is faster than the audience can perceive — something like a mid-narrative sleight of hand costume change.

Peng performs what he calls a "space walk," in which he grabs hold of a straight pole and uses his strength and balance to move. He also collaborates with other cast members to perform acrobatics ranging from hat juggling to hoops.

Liu and Peng say that they cherish the opportunity to perform together, and also that they can share their everyday lives together. They were excited about traveling to the U.S. well before they arrived, partially because their performance in Wild Lights at the Louisville Zoo would be part of their first visit to the U.S.

After performing for only a month, they have been amazed by the consistent enthusiasm of their audience. "We want to express our appreciation," the couple says.

They hope to continue attracting people to the Louisville Zoo and attend the Wild Lights show. Wild Lights runs from March 23 through May 19. Check times and ticket pricing here.