Dance festival shares a universal language

As autumn's golden hues descend upon Beijing, the National Centre for the Performing Arts is preparing to launch its much-anticipated annual event, the NCPA Dance Festival. From Sept 20 to Dec 7, the iconic venue will present a 78-day celebration of movement and artistry that transcends boundaries, featuring 16 performances across 36 shows.

With this year's theme, "dance beyond boundaries", the festival will lead audiences into a world of artistic possibilities, reflecting both the limitless potential of dance and the spirit of dancers striving for excellence.

Dance, a universal language that speaks without words, has the power to transcend borders and unite cultures. With this spirit, the NCPA Dance Festival has invited some of the world's finest ballet companies and stars to share the stage, creating a global dialogue through the grace and power of ballet.

The festival will open with a star-studded ballet performance titled Force of Nature on Sept 20 and 21, as Natalia Osipova, the principal dancer of The Royal Ballet, leads a performance that spans both classical and modern styles. The shows will feature a combination of Osipova's iconic classical works, contemporary ballet masterpieces, and original pieces, which will highlight her versatility and artistic freedom, including a pas de deux from Act II of Giselle, Mikhail Fokine's legendary The Dying Swan, and the contemporary ballet piece, Ashes, that she co-created.

On Oct 6 and 7, the gala, titled Alina and Her Friends, will bring together nine principal dancers from top leading companies across the globe. Featuring star ballerina Alina Cojocaru, they will perform excerpts from ballet's most iconic works, each dancer representing a unique tradition and history.

Later in the season, ballet lovers will see the return of the Eifman Ballet of Saint Petersburg with Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov from Nov 6-9, and the National Ballet of China's staging of Cinderella from Dec 5-7.

While ballet opens a window to the classical world, modern dance represents a bold frontier of creative expression, breaking down formalities and exploring new forms of storytelling. This year's NCPA Dance Festival will showcase contemporary works by China's leading young choreographers, offering innovative new pieces that cross the boundaries of dance, music, and theater.

From Oct 1 to 3, the Xie Xin Dance Theatre will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a special performance featuring In Satie/The Rite of Spring, a unique fusion of dance and live music. In collaboration with musician Fu Yifei, these performances reimagine classical music through dance, offering a unique sensory experience.

According to dancer-choreographer Xie Xin, In Satie/The Rite of Spring was inspired by a fire in the winter of 2023 that destroyed the company's dance studio.

"That space was like a 'home' where dancers trained, worked and grew together. It was a harbor where we carefully added mirrors, laid floor mats, and filled the shelves with books. But when I arrived at the scene, all that remained were charred beams, and scorched props," she recalls.

The tragedy gave rise to new creativity. After the accident, she suddenly understood the power in The Rite of Spring. "Life's calamities always take something away, but they also allow something new to grow," she says.

The innovative spirit continues on Nov 1 and 2 with dancer-choreographer Wang Yanbin's The Moon Opera. First staged in 2015, the piece has toured globally and was acclaimed for its evocative choreography and emotional depth. Based on Bi Feiyu's novel of the same name, the production explores the beauty and complexity of Chinese culture, particularly the 200-year-old Peking Opera, through contemporary dance.

"Touring with this piece over 150 times has allowed me to evolve as both dancer and choreographer," says Wang, noting that the adaptation inspired her to create more dance pieces based on literary works.

"Dance is the best way for me to communicate with the world, while literature allows me to see it more profoundly. I hope that I will have more opportunities to adapt outstanding literary works into dance dramas, using dance language as a threshold to bring more classic characters into the audience's view," she adds.

This year's festival will feature three original Chinese dance dramas that reinterpret ancient stories for modern audiences, blending preservation with innovation.

A highlight will be the China Oriental Performing Arts Group presenting The Dazu Rock Carvings on Oct 31 and Nov 1, a dance drama inspired by the world-renowned Buddhist grottoes in Chongqing. The performance captures the history of these iconic sculptures, telling the story of the craftsmen who created them over 400 years ago, and will be a stirring tribute to the legacy of Chinese art and craftsmanship.