During the Lantern Festival, I watched the rehearsal of the original ballet "Lilies" for the first time in the rehearsal hall of the Shanghai Ballet. Screenwriter Wang Anyi was "surprised".
"Lily" is adapted from a short story of the same name by Wang Anyi's mother, writer Ru Zhijuan. The novel was published in "Yanhe" in 1958, and the full text is only more than 5,000 words. It tells the story of the intersection of three characters with different identities, personalities, and life backgrounds, a correspondent, a new daughter-in-law, and a female soldier from an art troupe, due to the trivial matter of "borrowing a quilt," and shows the beauty of human nature in the war years.
"The storyline of this novel is very simple. To turn it into a ballet requires a lot of content. To my surprise, the current presentation in the rehearsal hall is very full and vivid." Wang Anyi said .
Shanghai Ballet's original ballet "Lily" opens. Photo by Zhang Ting
"Lily" is a red-themed work created by Shanghai Ballet to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is directed by choreographer Wang Ge, and the creative team also brings together Composer Yang Fan, stage designer Qin Liyun, lighting designer Xiao Lihe, costume designer Cui Xiaodong, multimedia designer Nina Dunn, character designer Sun Xiaohong, etc.
How can this simple and long-standing story be adapted into a ballet, so that the lily can bloom again in the hearts of today's audiences?
Poster of Shanghai Ballet's original ballet "Lilies"
The most difficult part was handled most skillfully
Invited to be the screenwriter of "Lilies", Wang Anyi agreed easily. "My mother passed away in 1998. More than 20 years have not been long, but the world has changed so fast. I am very touched that everyone has not forgotten my mother and this long-standing short story "Lily"."
According to Ru Zhijuan in " According to the records in "The Writing Process of <百合花>", the battle in the novel was the Seven Battles and Seven Victories between Jiangsu and Central China that took place in 1946, and the headquarters of this famous battle was located in what is now Nantong Hai'an.
"Lily" was published in "Yanhe" in 1958.
At that time, Ru Zhijuan was doing combat work in the frontline bandaging of the General Offensive Regiment. The first job she received was to "borrow a quilt." Countless local people, represented by "new wives", donated all the materials they could provide.
Today, the Memorial Hall of the Seven Wars and Seven Victories of Jiangsu Province is located in the center of Hai'an City, Jiangsu Province. This example in the history of Chinese wars of winning with a small number over a large number accelerated the victory of the War of Liberation, highlighted the situation of the military and civilians in central Jiangsu, and inspired the creation of "Lilies".
Ru Zhijuan was only in his early 30s when he wrote this short story. Wang Anyi is very happy to see that the creative and starring team of the ballet "Lilies" are all young. "I write novels and am used to working alone. This time, working with so many young creators is not as lonely as one person. Their work makes the story on paper become intuitive and come alive."
"Lily" has been adapted into a short film
From the novel to a ballet, Wang Anyi's biggest worry is: the small matter of "borrowing a quilt" is too everyday and too realistic, how to move it to the stage superior? Unexpectedly, in the first half, it was the "borrowing quilt" scene that impressed Wang Anyi the most. "I originally thought that the most difficult part was handled in the most vivid and clever way. Director Wang really has a 'trick'."
Another treatment that Wang Anyi likes is the way "Lily" tells the story in reverse order. . "It shows the growth of the characters and at the same time makes the story farther away from us. With the sense of distance, there are more complex emotions in it."
Ru Zhijuan and Wang Anyi
Such a story should not be People today forget
In 1958, after the publication of "Lilies", Mao Dun, the then Minister of Culture, once commented: "The image of the characters changes from light to thick, just like a person coming towards you. The closer you are, the clearer you can see. Finally, , not only allows us to see his appearance clearly, but also his heart."
In the rehearsal hall of "Lilies", there are many young actors of the Shanghai Ballet. In order to create better characters, the actors were often scolded by Wang Ge, but they were all convinced by him. Wang Ge Said: "The high requirements are to do the show well, not to compromise or give up, and to make a good show with everyone." "
For director Wang Ge, who has won the Five First Project Awards, the Wenhua Award, and the Lotus Award many times, the biggest challenge of "Lily" is how to maintain the fresh and elegant tone of the original novel while showing the "nobility" of Shanghai-style ballet. "Elegant, exquisite and delicate" style creates a romantic and lyrical red-themed ballet.
Choreographer Wang Ge introduces "Lily" Photographed by Zhang Ting
During the rehearsal process, Shanghai Ballet Director Xin Lili, as the producer, always Accompanying her in the rehearsal hall. Every time she saw Director Wang's face looked wrong, she would quietly leave. But when she saw that he and the actors were rehearsing vigorously, she would stay silent and not disturb them, hoping to give the creator more space.
"The Shanghai Ballet has 'heirlooms' like The White-Haired Girl, which has played an important role in the history of ballet's nationalization. In creating "Lilies" today, we shoulder the mission: to continue along the path of our predecessors' exploration of nationalization of ballet and create Shanghai-style ballet works with a Chinese style and an international perspective. "
Composer Yang Fan's music for "Lily" once made Xin Lili cry. This young composer, who was born in a military compound, immediately opened the box at home after accepting the invitation to "Lily" , and found photos taken by his grandparents in military uniforms. As a child, he read "Lily" in a Chinese textbook. Before writing, he found the novel and read it many times.
Shanghai Ballet's original ballet "Lily" Photographed by Zhang Ting, the creative team of "Flower"
"I think such a story should not be forgotten by people today. Although I encountered many difficulties during the creation process, I hope that together with everyone, I can create a red-themed ballet that young people will like. "Yang Fan said. Zhang Songhua, producer of
"Lily" and president of the Shanghai Grand Theater Art Center, said that planning for this work began in 2022, hoping to tell Chinese stories in a world language and reach new artistic heights. "Shanghai Ballet has always been Walk on two legs, one leg is classic and the other leg is original. It is hoped that "Lily" can reach a new level in inheriting red culture and innovating Shanghai-style ballet expression. "
