Beijing News (Reporter Liu Zhen) From September 16th to 26th, the National Ballet of China will kick off the 60th anniversary of the premiere of the Chinese ballet classic "The Red Detachment of Women" with ten consecutive large-scale performances at the Tianqiao Theater in Beijing. At the climax, not only will almost all the actors of China National Ballet of China take turns to perform wonderful performances, but a special commemorative event will also be planned to add splendor to the 60th anniversary of this national classic. On September 13, China Ballet held a class visit, inviting the media to enter the rehearsal hall where the final sprint for the performance was in full swing, and feel the historical atmosphere of this work and the artistic vitality of China Ballet actors. During the
event, China Ballet showed the media classic clips from the play such as "Qionghua Solo Dance", "Evergreen Guiding the Way", "Detachment of Women Drill", "Evergreen Sword Dance", the spiritual transformation and growth of "Qionghua", and the life of Detachment of Women soldiers. The valiant heroic posture and the cordial care of the Red Army team are all presented on the stage through the skillful dance moves of the dancers, bringing the touch of time traveling and at the same time witnessing the power of classic art.
Visiting the 60th anniversary performance of the Chinese ballet classic "Red Detachment of Women". Photography: then
On September 26, 1964, the ballet "The Red Detachment of Women" was successfully premiered at the Tianqiao Theater in Beijing. After sixty years, this work has already surpassed the meaning of a dance drama and has become a symbol of cultural innovation. It is a profound memory of a passionate era and a milestone in the establishment of the Chinese school of ballet. It also represents the spirit of unremitting struggle of Chinese people in pursuit of their ideals. It has inspired and infected generations of audiences and has won wide acclaim on the world stage.
In 2024, with Hainan, where the story takes place, as the starting station, the 60-show tour of the 60th anniversary of the premiere of "Red Detachment of Women" will be grandly launched. "Celebrating with Performances" will travel the footprints of the red classic all over the country. So far, it has been in 20 countries There were 52 performances in the city. In the ten upcoming performances in Beijing, China National Ballet of China will reappear the classic on the stage where this work was first performed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the "Detachment of Women" on September 26, looking back on history and looking forward to the future. Pay high respect to the classics with intact inheritance and development.
Feng Ying, director and artistic director of the National Ballet of China, said in an interview: "The Red Detachment of Women, a 'milestone in the history of Chinese ballet,' is the crystallization of the collective creative wisdom of New China artists and has influenced the growth of several generations. Inspired by the spirit of the predecessors, generations of artists from China Ballet continue to work hard to reach the peak of art, making this work last forever after a century of baptism. Through its authentic inheritance, it has always been full of touching artistic brilliance and passionate stage vitality. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the premiere of this work. China Ballet has traveled all over the country with this work, attracting audiences wherever it goes. We all felt the power of timeless classics, as if we were immersed in the scene. At the same time, we also felt the influence of this work on today’s young audiences, which made us very excited!”
Director and Artistic Director of the National Ballet of China! Feng Ying guided the actors in the rehearsal hall for the final sprint for the performance. Photography: The then head of
Feng Ying introduced to the media that in order to better heighten the fiery atmosphere of the commemorative event, a super luxury lineup was specially arranged for the performances from September 16 to 26, with the lead actors Qiu Yunting and Ma Xiaodong, as well as Xu Yan and Guan Chong Zheng, Sun Ruichen, Ning Long, Li Jie, She Zhaohuan, Wu Siming, Zhang Yuzhu, etc. will all play the main roles. In different performances, two teams of actors from China Ballet will take turns to present classics to the audience. At the same time, students from the Chinese Ballet School will also participate in the performance of the play for the first time, fully demonstrating the overall strength and style of the Chinese Ballet with the artists. What is particularly worth mentioning is that China Ballet will also specially invite senior ballet performing artists Wang Caijun, Zhang Jian, Wang Qimin, Cao Shuci, etc. to perform on the stage, leaving touching moments and unforgettable memories that are classic and everlasting.
Zhang Jian, deputy director of China Ballet, who will star in this commemorative performance, said: "Celebrating the 60th anniversary of "The Red Detachment of Women" is a very important event for China Ballet.From the first day I joined the troupe, the seniors taught us that this is China Ballet’s ‘family show’. The ‘Spirit of the Detachment of Women’ has special meaning to China Ballet. The spirit of self-improvement contained in the play always encourages us and is worthy of our inheritance. I believe that future actors will do better than us from generation to generation! "
Qiu Yunting, the lead star of Chinese ballet, couldn't hide her excitement when talking about this performance: ""Red Detachment of Women" was created on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is a work that laid the original foundation for Chinese ballet. It is not only for China Ballet, and it is an indispensable work for the history of Chinese ballet. For me personally, this work has also accompanied my growth and urged me to make continuous progress. In 2020, Captain Feng Ying announced that I would become the lead actor just after the performance of "Red Detachment of Women" on March 8th that year. . I am very honored to be able to pass on the "Spirit of the Detachment of Women" to more audiences, especially young people, as a inheritor, so that they can understand history and cherish the present! "
Ma Xiaodong, the lead actor of China Ballet, said: "Every 'Hong Changqing' of China Ballet has experience and understanding passed down to us one-on-one and step by step by our seniors. We will continue to polish and think about it during the performance. I believe that in the performance, In the future, we will also pass it on to the next generation of actors bit by bit, and it is precisely because of this that we have the original flavor of these 60 years. This work toured many cities this year, and we are very pleased to see that both old and new audiences have affirmed us and are willing to learn about that period of history for this work. This virtuous cycle between audiences and performances makes us very happy. It also makes us more aware of our responsibilities! "
editor, Xu Meilin
proofreader, Liu Jun
