Wang Quanxing: Delivering Chinese Charm to the World with Chinese Ballet

China News Service Suzhou, April 7th (Reporter, Zhong Sheng) During the Qingming holiday, Wang Quanxing, a national first-class actor and head of the Suzhou Ballet, is still busy. 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia. From April 8th, the Suzhou Ballet will tour Malaysia and Singapore. Confirm the stage arrangement, guide the actors' movements... In order to present the perfect Chinese ballet performance to overseas audiences, Wang Quanxing spared no effort.

For China, ballet is a completely foreign culture. At the beginning of entering China, some people criticized ballet: "The workers, peasants and soldiers can't stand running with their thighs full of Taiwan." Wang Quanxing lamented the transformation from the Chinese people "can't stand it" to now go abroad to show the Chinese style.

"In 1964, the first ballet with a distinctly Chinese style, 'The Red Detachment of Women', was staged. This marked China's own ballet, and ballet took root in China. This year is exactly 60 years old." For Wang Quanxing, the dance also has a unique significance. In his office, a stills of "The Red Detachment of Women" hung in the photo of Wang Quanxing playing Hong Changqing, with free movements and full of tension. To play this role well, he studied traditional Peking Opera carefully, combining the "singing, reading and doing" in Peking Opera with ballet, and achieved unexpected results.

Since "Red Detachment of Women", Chinese ballet has been constantly trying new things. In 2022, "Magnificent Cloud", a large-scale original ballet created by Suzhou Ballet and about the spirit of "two bombs and one star", became China's first technology-themed ballet, which resonated with the audience. Among them, the rain curtain dance and Su embroidery dance with strong Jiangnan characteristics made people see that Western ballet can jump out of the elegance of the East.

"The Red Lantern Hangs High", "Blessings", "A Dream of Red Mansions"... Thanks to the efforts of Wang Quanxing and his colleagues, more and more Chinese stories have been adapted into ballets, and with the overseas tour of the ballet company, they have been known to audiences all over the world. In 2023, the Suzhou Ballet Company was invited to perform in Spain and Algeria with the special play "Memories of Jiangnan - Ballet Boutique Collection". Wang Quanxing recalled: "When performing in Spain, the scene was full, and the unique Jiangnan charm of the play made overseas audiences who had never been to China fall for it. After the performance, the audience gave a lasting and warm applause and cheers, and the actors took seven curtain calls."

"Ballet is a universal body language and cultural language. We can use this language to promote Chinese culture and tell Chinese stories overseas." Wang Quanxing has always adhered to "walking on two legs" for many years, while introducing European and American classic works into China. At the same time, he insists on drawing the essence from the cultural soil of his country, integrating traditional opera, ethnic minority dance and other movements into ballet, and dancing confidently on the international stage with ballet with Chinese cultural genes.