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

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Wang describes the choreography for Hamlet as her most exhausting and torturous work ever, the first time she has told a story through a man's perspective.

"I pretended to be Hamlet and then I thought about how to deal with hatred and how to deal with women," she says. "Every day I had complicated emotions in my head, which was an energy-consuming process but it's also enjoyable."

Born and raised in Beijing, Wang studied choreography at the Beijing Dance Academy and later was trained at the California Institute of the Arts' school of dance in Los Angeles. In 1998, she was named resident choreographer for the National Ballet of China. The following year she premiered The Butterfly Lovers at the Great Hall of the People for the 40th anniversary of the founding of the National Ballet of China, as well as a Chinese version of The Nutcracker.

Beijing Dance Theater is a private troupe and has no financial support from the government. Wang was concerned about the money in the early years. But now, as they tour more than 20 countries every year, Wang worries less about money but hopes to attract domestic audiences.

"Hamlet will be a good start since the story is familiar to audiences both in China and abroad," she says. "I feel proud to show worldwide audiences how a contemporary ballet dance troupe from China depicts a classic from the West. I also care about what the Chinese audiences think of it."