Pearl S. Buck's life is told in dance

Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), the author whose works so deeply influenced the world's view of China, will now have her life story told.

A new multi-cultural modern dance performance inspired by the life of Pear S. Buck, the first woman to win both the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes for literature, will have its world premier at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Aug 27.

The story will be brought to life by Academy Award-winning choreographer Daniel Ezralow, with a score by Japanese composer Jun Miyake, who has collaborated with David Byrne and Oliver Stone, and an international company of 30 dancers, including acclaimed dancer Margie Gillis.

"Pearl is a reflection of our global culture, a culture of one," said Ezralow. "Her story represents several mergings: of Chinese and Western cultures, of theatre and dance, of popular and high art, of authentic inspiration and expression, of learning and entertainment. These differences don't separate us, they bring us together."

Born in West Virginia, Buck lived in China with her missionary parents at the turn of the 20th century, overcoming a difficult childhood and numerous obstacles on her path to self-discovery.

Spending the first half of her life in China and later life in the US, Buck's unique perspective lives today in the more than 60 books she wrote, including her 1932 Pulitzer Prize-winning best-selling novel The Good Earth, which became an Academy Award-winning film in 1937.

Buck created the concept of international adoptions and fought tirelessly for women's rights. Through her writings and vast humanitarian activities, she often tried to reduce the cultures of China and the United States to their lowest common denominator in order to bridge the two worlds in which she lived and shared with her readers globally.

According to Ezralow, Buck's life will be told in five symbolic stages: Spring, River, Flower, Moon and Night, based on an influential poem written in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) by Zhang Ruoxu. The production will feature five different aged dancers portraying the different stages of Buck's life.

Developed and created in the US, the production was produced by Beijing-based Legend River Entertainment, along with Zhenjiang Media Group.

"Pearl S. Buck was an American woman who opened the eyes of world to the beauty of China," said Tang Xiaolei, CEO of Legend River Entertainment. "It is our hope to connect and inspire international audiences in the 21th Century with her still-relevant ideas from years ago."

"Pearl S. Buck's story is a bridge of two cultures and provides an enlightened understanding of East and West," Tang added.

According to Tang, following the show's four-performance run in New York Aug 27-30, it will tour Europe and China through 2016.

Hong Xiao in New York contributed to this story.