A step in the right direction

Li has participated in the ballet workshop since 2010 when the project was launched. He says that he has experimented with various ideas, which allowed him to grow from a dancer to a choreographer. He plans to expand the piece Where to Pour All My Love? into a full-length ballet work.

Other new works to be staged during the event include Before the Next Move, choreographed by Sun Haifeng, which is inspired by chess, and Looking For My Soul Mate, choreographed by Su Yang, which is based on the ancient Chinese story of Yu Boya, who plays his guqin in the mountains, when a woodcutter, Zhong Ziqi, hears the music and understands exactly what Yu wants to express.

Farewell, My Free Bone is an original dance piece choreographed by Yan Mengxuan, a student of the dance school of the National Ballet of China. It is the first time that Yan is participating in the ballet workshop and the piece is based on her personal experience.

"This work was created during my recovery from the surgery to remove the free bone from the back of my ankle," says Yan, 14. "During recovery, I always looked forward to dancing, which gave me the idea of creating a piece."

Feng Ying, president of the National Ballet of China, says, "Every year, we look forward to seeing those young dancers and their original pieces during the workshop, which offers them an opportunity to fulfill their ideas onstage. The workshop allows them to try a wide range of themes and showcase their creativity.

"After 12 years, the workshop not only brings out new choreographers but also helps the company to discover talents in different fields, such as in video-making, visual design and stage design," Feng adds.