11 Chinese dancers gather to showcase the power of Chinese ballet

Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland... From July 19th to 20th, 11 Chinese dancers from 8 overseas ballet troupes will gather at the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater to showcase the power of Chinese ballet active on the world stage.

"We hope that the Shanghai audience can see the different styles of the multi-dancers, who live abroad and some have never performed in Shanghai, and we also hope that the Shanghai audience can see their achievements and see the future power of Chinese ballet," said Ao Dingwen, a producer and director, referring to "Chinese Light · Ballet Star GALA."

Nearly half of the 11 dancers grew up in Shanghai and have an indissoluble connection with the city.

Yu Hang graduated from Shanghai Dance School in 2016, won gold in the Lausanne International Ballet Competition, and is currently the lead dancer of the Royal Ballet. Bai Dingkai also graduated from Shanghai Dance School, and was a classmate partner with Yu Hang. He is currently the lead dancer of the Dutch National Ballet.

After many years, the two worked together again, bringing excerpts from the dance drama "Pirates" and the modern ballet "Embers". This is also the first time the two have returned to the place where they grew up to dance after many years of graduation.

"There are many teachers and classmates who come to the performance, and they will be more nervous than when they were students." Bai Dingkai said that the two of them had partnered once in the "Pirates" duet, hoping that this time they would bring a different texture from when they were students. "In" Embers ", the two people have been looking for each other all the time, and the flames gradually burn out, slowly fade away, and float into the distance."

The lead performer of the Finnish National Ballet, Xia Jun, and the performer of the San Francisco Ballet, Wang Mingxuan, also graduated from the Shanghai Dance School.

"Twelve years after graduation, I performed in the theater next to my alma mater for the first time." Xia Jun will collaborate with Chen Zhiyao, the first soloist of the Finnish National Ballet, on excerpts from "Swan Lake" and the modern ballet "You Before Me." Two years ago, Chen Zhiyao was seriously injured and nearly left the stage. "I am grateful that I persevered, that I can challenge myself again, and that I have the courage to return to the stage."

Wang Mingxuan will partner with Peng Huiwen, a San Francisco Ballet dancer, to perform excerpts from "Giselle" and the modern ballet "Boundaries." "When I came to Shanghai in 2019, I especially liked the city, and it was very special to be able to meet everyone in this way," Peng Huiwen, who is from Taiwan, China, said with a smile. "It is very precious to have such a good platform for cross-strait cultural exchanges. Art has no boundaries," Wang Mingxuan said.

Liu Sirui, the lead performer of the Cincinnati Ballet and a graduate of the Shanghai Theater Academy, will perform excerpts from Don Quixote and modern ballet Reminiscence with Liang Zecheng, the lead performer of the Philadelphia Ballet in the United States, and Sun Jiayong, the lead performer of the Lausanne Bega Ballet in Switzerland.

Interestingly, Ao Dingwen, the producer and director of the performance, and Shi Yue, the lead performer of the Boston Ballet in the United States, also have ties to Shanghai - at the sixth Shanghai International Ballet Competition, the two won gold medals for men and women in the adult group, which attracted much attention.

Now, on this once-honored stage, Shi Yue will hold hands with his wife, Liu Chenxin, a soloist at the Boston Ballet, and the husband and wife will perform "Eros" from the dance drama "Diana and Acton" and the modern ballet "Blushing". "Both works are about love, and they are very suitable for us, like a true portrayal of us," Liu Chenxin said with a smile.

The performance includes romantic ballets such as "Pirates", "Giselle", "Swan Lake", "Don Quixote", classical ballet's classic duet clips, as well as a large number of modern ballet works.

"Many people like to watch classical ballet, which is indeed more exciting and can also represent the solidity of the dancers' basic skills. Why show modern works? Because modern dance can show the free soul, the movements are very real, and it can give the audience more space to think. Moreover, if modern works want to dance well, they must have a solid classical foundation," Ao Dingwen said.

"I just retired last year and returned to the stage, looking at the dancer from a different perspective." Sun Jiayong, who just retired from the Lausanne Bega Ballet in Switzerland, will also bring his own solo dance "Die for love", which reflects his current state of mind and looks back from another perspective on how he loves the stage, "or, at my age, what kind of courage it takes to dare to stand on the stage again." He hopes to give you the most regrettable performance.

"As a choreographer, you will first discover your personal thoughts and thoughts, and then connect with the world, so you must find yourself first." Sun Jiayong said with a smile. As a fledgling choreographer, he is still practicing and needs time to explore his own dance vocabulary.

Liang Zecheng also brought his own modern work "Off Titles", hoping to return to the basics, not forget the original intention, and give beautiful art to the audience. Liang Zecheng admitted that after years of hard work overseas, these young dancers on stage have experienced ups and downs, and now they have established themselves overseas, so that the world stage can see more Chinese faces. "This performance is also an answer for our Shanghai audience."

What's the hardest part about chasing dreams in a foreign land?

Yu Hang, the only Chinese dancer at the Royal Ballet, said: "First of all, the culture is different, and second is the language barrier. It took me about half a year to get used to it. New friends and new environments also have challenges."

"Language is a hurdle, and in addition, you have to learn and adapt to different dance styles every day." Bai Dingkai is about to join the Norwegian National Ballet and will also become the only Chinese dancer in the troupe. "I also hope to be exposed to more works and show some characters that I have not been exposed to before."

"The domestic audience is very enthusiastic, and there are many people who love ballet and are willing to go to the theater to watch ballet, which is a great encouragement to us." Yu Hang lamented that sometimes he is lonely abroad, but he can always get the audience's attention on social media such as Xiaohongshu, and sometimes he will meet domestic audiences at the Royal Ballet. "It is very kind and energetic, and the audience support also gives us the confidence to go abroad."