Dance drama to bring Peking Opera star's creativity to the fore

Photo provided to China Daily

"My fathered learned many traditional Peking Opera works, which laid a firm foundation for his own creation. The advanced technology today helps decorate the stage and get notice by audiences, but remembering the roots of Peking Opera should always be the priority," says Mei Baojiu, an artist of the opera and the youngest son of Mei Lanfang.

Mei Baojiu is also the artistic director of the dance drama.

Yang Wei, the choreographer for the dance drama, says that she employs traditional Chinese dance, Chinese folk dance and contemporary dance to portray characters. Dancers of Liaoning Song and Dance Troupe perform - Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou - the opera's four different roles, and bring an onstage flare to them with the help of Mei Lanfang's monologues.

Yang says that the troupe produced the show to pay homage to the opera master but it's been a challenging task to display his achievements and personality through abstract dance movements.

"I have choreographed for many grand events and historical dance dramas earlier but this is my first time depicting a real artist. I wanted it to be soft and subtle but memorable," she says.

Yang spent a long time thinking about how to portray such a famous figure.

In her mind, Mei Lanfang was not only an outstanding Peking Opera performer, but also a great patriot, who stopped shaving his bread and fell ill on purpose so as to avoid performing for the Japanese occupational troops during the War of Resistance from 1937 to 1945.

"I tried to share our appreciation of that value with the audience," Yang adds.

IF YOU GO

7:30 pm, Dec 9 and 10. Poly Theater, Poly Plaza, 13 Dongsishitiao, Dongcheng district, Beijing. Tel: 400-610-3721.