Festival dazzles with dance dramas

The seventh edition of the Xi'an International Dance Festival opened on Monday, with 12 dance dramas staged through 37 shows at Shaanxi Opera House and Kai Yuan Theater in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

The festival opened with A Dream of Red Mansions, an original dance drama by the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts based on the classic novel of the same title written by Cao Xueqin during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The production stays loyal to the novel, with star dancer Li Xing playing the role of Jia Baoyu and also serving as co-director of the production.

Wing Chun, a dance drama choreographed and directed by Zhou Liya and Han Zhen will also be staged during the festival. It features five types of Chinese kung fu, such as wing chun, baguazhang (eight fixed palms) and tai chi, and combines martial arts with dance moves performed by artists of the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theater.

Other highlights include the dance drama The Peacock by veteran dancer-choreographer Yang Liping, which brings the original ethnic songs and dances from Yunnan province and modern dance together. Also being performed is Princess Zhaojun by the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, which is a story about Wang Zhaojun, a beautiful princess from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).