Hamlet en pointe

Wang Yuanyuan's new ballet production narrates through the inner self of Hamlet, who struggles between revenge and love. Photos provided to China Daily

Wang tells the story through the eyes and inner world of the melancholy prince, who struggles with the dramas of power, family, revenge and love.

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According to Han Jiang, the scriptwriter, producer and lighting director of Beijing Dance Theater, he initially gave Wang eight versions of a script, each telling the story of Hamlet from a different perspective.

"It's difficult to turn such a classical story into a ballet. Our imagination for the story is unlimited," Han says.

Once Wang decided on the script — a version emphasizing physical power and close to the original story of Hamlet, she called Feng, who was eager to be the artistic supervisor for the production.

"One day I took several drafts of the stage design to his studio, and he chose one with a simple but strong visual impact," says Wang. "I was very happy because we think along the same lines."

The plan picked up by Feng was designed by Tan Shaoyuan. On a black backdrop, white color gradually concentrates into one point and finally disappears, which Tan describes as desperate and ruthless, like "a black hole absorbing all the light into darkness".

Instead of using the whole version of Tan Dun's music, Wang invited young Chinese composer Wang Peng to join in. Tan's music, she says, was for those dance pieces in Feng's film and she wanted music for the ballet that was coherent and complete.