Over decades of development, Chinese ballet has built up a broad repertoire that mixes classical favorites with pieces built around Chinese narratives. The latter group is largely responsible for the recent acclaim won by Chinese ballet companies around the world. A recent project initiated by the National Center for the Performing Arts has brought together the best of them, under the heading "Chinese Ballet Power". In today's "Spotlight", we take a look at the evolution of choreography and the staging of ballets in China over the past decades.
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Ballet Mei Lanfang
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Influenced by both traditional ballet and Peking Opera, the ballet "Mei Lanfang" does full justice to the artistic passion and charisma of the operatic luminary.
Choreographers have adopted a surrealist approach to dramatizing Mei Lanfang as a legendary female impersonator. Five dancers take the stage throughout the production. The four ballerinas represent the most famous female Peking Opera roles that Mei Lanfang played, while the male dancer represents the master.
