CSIAF targets young audiences

From the soprano singing the aria Yes, They Call Me Mimi, in a mini denim skirt, to middle-school students dancing Stravinsky's The Firebird, the 14th China Shanghai International Arts Festival has made great efforts to bring arts to a wider and younger audience.

On Oct 18, CSIAF will open with a new production of La Boheme, where Rodolfo and his artistic friends wear dark glasses and wool caps, and Mimi dresses in a mini skirt and trendy combat boots.

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"The play director Damiano Michieletto believes the theme and emotions in the classic opera resonate with life today - young people still struggle to achieve their dreams and lovers hurt each other unintentionally," says Zhang Xiaoding, vice-director of Shanghai Grand Theater.

The new edition of Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme is jointly produced by Shanghai Grand Theater and the Salzburg Festival. The opera premiered at the prominent festival of music and drama in Salzburg in February.

This year's CSIAF will feature 46 stage shows as well as other cultural and artistic events.

"It's a festival of the people," says Jiang Zhuoqing, deputy secretary general of the festival organizing committee. "We are dedicated to presenting the most popular and fine-quality performances from home and abroad."

"The new production features a modern setting and young actors. Among the cast are Chinese actors. These promising young Chinese opera singers have been active in the global music scene, and we want to introduce them to Chinese audiences," Zhang adds.

A modern dance performance by middle-school students from China and Germany in The Firebird is another highlight of the festival.

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The project initiated by British choreographer Royston Maldoom aims to cultivate interest and encourage young people to participate in dance.

Under the guidance of Maldoom, about 100 teenage students have been introduced to ballet and modern dance. The dance training and rehearsals provide a perfect platform to break down cultural and language barriers.

"Shanghai Grand Theater has put a lot of emphasis in promoting modern dance to local audiences, but with limited effect," Zhang says. "This project has given us a new idea on how to introduce modern dance to the public. I've seen the video of the performance in Berlin, and it's of quite good quality."

One of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world, Stuttgart Ballet from Germany, a regular feature of the CSIAF, will present La Traviata this year. It is created by American choreographer John Neumeier.

"Neumeier has dedicated himself to modernizing ballet, and for La Traviata, he gives up the familiar music of Verdi's opera, and adopts music by Chopin instead," explains Zhang of Shanghai Grand Theater.

CSIAF has started a new project to support young artistes this year. They have selected a group of seven artistes from all over the country, who will perform on Oct 19.

zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn