On September 11
th, 2018, the annual NCPA Dance Festival will kick off with the theme, “Dance My Body Language.” In the subsequent 103 days, famed Chinese and foreign dance ensembles will gather in Beijing to give 42 virtuoso performances of 16 works to offer audiences a feast of dancing, carry out educational activities in various forms, and impress the audience with dance charms at close range.
Attendees at the press conference of NCPA Dance Festival 2018.
Photo by GAO Shang
On September 4th, WANG Wei (Director of NCPA Performance Department), FENG Ying (President of National Ballet of China), Cheng Tsung-lung (Artistic Director of Cloud Gate 2) and ZHAO Liang (Artistic Director of ZHAO Liang Art Studio) attended the press conference and expounded on the special highlights of the upcoming NCPA Dance Festival 2018.
Since the NCPA Dance Festival was launched in 2012, renowned dance ensembles and artists from at home and abroad have been invited to present 157 performances of 70 works, which have been recognized by experts and audiences. The NCPA Dance Festival 2018 will not only feature classical ballets with romantic choreography and Chinese dance works with ethnic rhythm, but also contemporary dance attuned to modern thinking.
Roméo et Juliette by Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève.
On September 11th-12th, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève will unveil the dance festival with Roméo et Juliette. In choreographer Joëlle Bouvier's eyes, "We unite our bodies into the gentleness and fury of Prokofiev's music, and we let ourselves be inspired by the rhythm, of which poetic nature will compose body movements, lifts, motions and fractures. All describe the passionate adventure of two lovers."
The Crane Calling by National Ballet of China.
On September 15
th-16
th, the National Ballet of China will stage a full-length ballet with distinctive Chinese characteristics—
The Crane Calling. At the press conference, FENG Ying said, “
The Crane Calling is adapted from a true story, which strives to be a meaningful and influential work of ordinary workers devotion to work as well as their pursuit to life. At the same time, in the exchange with worldwide culture and art, Chinese ballet should present original works to tell the world ‘China Story’ and convey the refined taste of Chinese art.”
Martial Art in Dance by ZHAO Liang Art Sudio.
On September 17th-18th, ZHAO Liang will appear in Martial Art in Dance, a fusion of martial arts and contemporary dance. As for the creative idea of “combination of dance and martial art,” ZHAO said, “In my opinion, martial arts should not be just sportsn, as it contains many philosophical and special body vocabularies. In terms of visual and physical expression, martial arts is attributed to people's body language in one's innermost world. In fact, the combination of martial arts and dance is also an expertise, method and technique of dance.”
For combined audience and enthusiasts, the NCPA specially plans for a series of educational activities in various forms, such as dance class, ballet animation and creative street snapshot. Moreover, “Chinese Young Choreographers' Works” will provide a platform for the creative potential of the new-generation Chinese choreographers as always, and stage powerful works to impress the audience with flourishing development of young dancers.
Dancer YANG Lingkai shares Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's training tips with Beijing journalists.
Photo by GAO Shang
On September 4
th, Cheng Tsung-lung and YANG Lingkai, a dancer of Cloud Gate 2, also finished a dance class—“Dance My Body Language: Opening Cloud Gate”. Cheng Tsung-lung analyzed dance training methodology of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, explained his own growing up story and introduced creation and rehearsals of
13 TONGUES that would be unveiled at the Dance Festival 2018 on October 26
th-28
th.
13 TONGUES by Cloud Gate 2.
Photo by LIU Zhenxiang
Cheng Tsung-lung said, “13 TONGUES extremely differs from works by Lin Hwai-min. Lin’s works are elegant, whereas 13 TONGUES is down to earth. In my childhood, I was amazed by street performers at Monga Street in Taipei. Perhaps because of growth environment, I especially wish to use the colour, music and lighting on the stage to make retrospect to the citizens at that time and restore the old urban area of Taiwan in the 1960s.”
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