Dance production shows history of revolutionary base

A new original dance drama, titled The Spring of Yangjialing, is set to make its debut at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Nov 5.

On Oct 30, teachers and students of Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dance Department of Beijing Dance Academy, who created and perform in the new dance drama, gathered at the school to celebrate the upcoming premiere of the new dance piece.

According to Zhang Xiaomei, director of The Spring of Yangjialing, who is also the head of Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dance Department, the new dance piece follows the story of people in Yangjialing, northwest Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in China's Shaanxi province, during the 1930s and 1940s, especially focusing on how people created literature works, artworks and songs in praise of the Communist Party of China.

Woodcut prints and folk songs portraying the revolutionary base Yan'an, the area's landscape and local people's daily lives are presented in the dance drama.

Less than a week after the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led the members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau to Yan'an.

"There are many touching stories about Yangjialing, which deserve research and inspire art creation," says Ba Tu, Party secretary of Beijing Dance Academy. "We hope that the dance drama will help more young people learn about the stories of Yangjialing."