From October 26 to October 30, the Swedish musical physical theater show “Nose in the Soil” is being performed daily at Qixing Park in Guilin, Guangxi. Dressed in silver costumes that represent the cosmos, the performers stretch their limbs to the sound of violin music, utilizing new circus techniques to reveal the secrets of the forest from unique perspectives.
“This is a story about the forest and nature. We aim to educate the audience about the scientific knowledge of nature through an entertaining and poetic performance,” said Love Kjellsson, the director and a lead actor of the production, with a smile. “I brought an oak stump from the Nordics as a prop, while the soil, seeds, and leaves were sourced from Guilin. I want people to see the beauty of Nordic nature blending with the picturesque landscapes of Guilin.”
The stage inside the dome tent is covered with brown earth, surrounded by dry leaves. Under the warm glow of orange lights, a gentle mist rises, mimicking the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the forest. As the deep, rich tones of the violin fill the air, the performers softly sing, gradually drawing the audience into silence, their eyes fixed on the stage in anticipation of the unfolding story.
“Look! Our seeds have already grown; they’re almost ready to become a big tree, just like you said, we should plant them! This is exactly what we need,” one performer exclaims excitedly as they pick up seeds from the stage. During the closing moments, the actor encourages the children in the audience to join them on stage, where they gently touch the soil, bury seeds of hope, and experience the allure of nature.
In one corner of the stage, a translator conveys the actors’ lines in Chinese with heartfelt emotion. Love Kjellsson shares that this is the “new member” of their performance team. “The music and physical language allow the audience to understand the story we want to convey, but we believe that bilingual translation can enhance our interaction with the Chinese audience, allowing them to immerse themselves in the narrative,” he explained.
Kjellsson believes that Guilin’s continuous hosting of artistic festivals offers a fantastic platform for artists from diverse cultural backgrounds to engage. In his free time, he plans to enjoy Chinese theater and communicate with other performers. As he finds himself in Guilin, a renowned tourist city, he has laid out a special “landscape tour.”
“Forty years ago, my mother came to China as an engineer for a conference and happened to stay in Yangshuo for nearly a week,” Love reminisces about his family’s connection to Guilin. “This time, I intend to visit the guesthouse where my mother stayed, explore the landscapes of Yangshuo, and see the Longji Rice Terraces in Longsheng.”
Reflecting on his visit to Guilin, Love Kjellsson shares that it has sparked a wealth of inspiration for him, which he plans to incorporate into his future projects. He eagerly anticipates returning to Guilin to present his work again and fulfill the promise of a “landscape rendezvous.”