Casual chat has creative repercussions

Dancer-choreographer Wang Yabin, who directed the concert last year, returns again this year. She is no stranger to Peking Opera from years spent working on one of her most famous dance dramas, The Moon Opera, which was based on Bi Feiyu's novel, and which tells the story of a Peking Opera performer called Xiao Yanqiu.

"What we tried to do is to present the classic characters from the Dream of the Red Chamber through a combination of music, dance and Peking Opera," Wang Yabin says, adding that both Chinese and Western musical instruments are used in the concert, giving the songs a new twist.

She can still remember the warm response from the audience following the premiere last year. "It was a bold and successful experiment bringing Peking Opera, a national treasure, and a classic TV series together," she says.

According to Wei, the concert is part of the 14th Cao Xueqin Culture and Art Festival, which will open in Beijing on Friday and runs until December. Events will include stage performances, exhibitions and lectures, and experts specialized in the novel will give speeches.