He spent four months reading Su Dongpo's works and books about him. He also worked with scholars and artists from China Oriental Performing Arts Group to develop his ideas and fulfill them onstage gradually.
Shen says that traditional Chinese culture has played a vital part in his art career and with Poetic Dance: Dongpo, he goes back to his cultural roots again and combines his knowledge and experiences of working abroad during the past four decades, hoping to bring a stage production that audiences have never seen before.
Poetic Dance: Dongpo will portray Su Dongpo's personality, key life experiences and talent in diverse literary forms in the production's four chapters.
For example, at a young age, Su Dongpo performed brilliantly in the imperial examinations, and began a long and distinguished career as an official, working in various governmental positions. He went through a series of political setbacks, however, including appointments to minor posts in distant places.
In spite of the hardships, he still retained his optimism. The optimism Su Dongpo demonstrated in his private and political life can be seen also in his poems, many of which vividly describe his own experiences.
"I hope the production will not only appeal to dance lovers but also audiences of different art genres, such as literature, visual arts and calligraphy, since we will combine those art forms," Shen adds.
