Stills from the original dance drama "Nine Years of Yonghe". (Photo courtesy of Shanghai Opera House) In calligraphy, movement can be seen in silence, and each stroke is an expression of one's heart; in dance, one uses one's body as the pen, and one's movements depict the traject

Stills from the original dance drama "Nine Years of Yonghe". (Photo provided by Shanghai Opera House)

In calligraphy, movement can be seen in silence, and each stroke is an expression of one's heart; in dance, one uses one's body as the pen, and one's movements depict the trajectory of life. Starting yesterday, the Shanghai-produced original dance drama "Nine Years of Yonghe - Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection·Dance Biography", which combines the charm of calligraphy and the beauty of dance, was performed at the National Center for the Performing Arts for three consecutive nights. The journey leads the audience back to the birth and inheritance of "Lanting Collection Preface". On the

stage, a dance depicting the "Eight Methods of Yongzi" aroused the interest of many viewers: in the relaxed and relaxed rhythm of banggu, the male actors presented the essence of exquisite calligraphy through the integration of body, body rhythm and brushstrokes. , showing the eternity that penetrates the back of the paper... This is also the original intention of the creation of "Nine Years of Yonghe": to present the philosophical thoughts contained in famous stories on the stage with beautiful audio-visuals, and to speak them well in an artistic language that transcends time and space and crosses national boundaries. Chinese story.

Dance meets calligraphy, presenting the elegance of the Wei and Jin Dynasties

The dance sleeves are fluttering and the ink is rich, and the calligraphy is integrated into the dance to promote the national style. The opening of "Nine Years of Yonghe" shows the charm of the south of the Yangtze River with lush forests and bamboos. The beautiful picture of the Orchid Pavilion slowly unfolds, bringing the audience into the artistic conception of winding water and drinking wine. As the plot progresses, the plot flashes back to Wang Xizhi's memory of learning calligraphy as a child. He was so excited because of the "extreme audio-visual entertainment and the joy of faith" that he sighed that "life and death are both important" and wrote the "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection" with his words. Mental journeys are intertwined. "So many familiar words, phrases and allusions are presented on the stage in the form of dance, which makes me feel like I am walking in the river of history, wandering my mind and observing the past and present in just a moment." Zhang Xiaobei, an audience member born in 1995, said it was "enjoyable", " In particular, the dancers used their bodies to demonstrate Professor Wei's creative ideas of "Stone Falling from the Mountain" and "Long Live the Withered Vine", which simply transformed the flow of ink into a spatial sculpture."

Following its premiere in Shanghai last year, "Nine Years of Yonghe" has been released one after another. On the stage in Linyi, Shaoxing and other places. For the actors in the crew, every stop on the tour is a new challenge and opportunity, allowing them to complete the transformation from nervousness to confidence. In recent years, the exchanges and cooperation between the Shanghai Opera House and the National Center for the Performing Arts have become increasingly frequent and in-depth. As the opening performance of the National Center for the Performing Arts' "National Style·Dancing Classics" series, "Nine Years of Yonghe" will appear in Beijing and is an important stop on the show's national tour in 2024. Zhao Lei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Opera House, said that the creative team and the cast are fully prepared to perform the latest original dance drama. "Not only have we continued to consolidate our proficiency in dance sequences and techniques, we have also refined our character portrayal and emotional expression during our tour experience."

Last night, Song Yu, the lead actor of the Shanghai Opera House Dance Troupe, performed "Wang Xizhi" with superb dance skills and won the first prize in Beijing Warm applause from the audience. After more than ten tours, his performance has gradually matured. Not only is he able to control difficult dance steps with ease, but he also appears calm and composed while moving forward and backward. The "Goose" played by lead actor Tan Yimei is vivid and lifelike. The pas de deux between her and Song Yu reproduces the allusive scene of Wang Xizhi's love for and painting of geese. Specially invited dancer Zhang Aoyue plays the role of "Li Shimin". With her solid dance skills and rich stage experience, she accurately interprets the imperial bearing and broad mind. The group dance of "Nine Years of Yonghe" was also recognized by the audience. A group of young dancers not only acted as elegant and unrestrained "literati", but also transformed into light flowing water, winding ancient vines, and smart ink...these dance images. The richness highlights Wang Xizhi's life realm, artistic awakening and calligraphy vision.

Spanning thousands of years, continuing cultural inheritance

"The Nine Years of Yonghe" takes the contemporary young man "Geng"'s historical exploration of the "Preface to the Lanting Collection" as a clue. It not only tells the birth of "the best running script in the world", but also extends the perspective to The spread, inheritance and development of calligraphy. "Young Geng is actually the inheritor of Chinese culture. He is not only a time traveler from the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty and then to modern times, but also formed the 'Creation-Propagation-Inheritance' concept with characters such as Wang Xizhi and Li Shimin. It connects an endless cultural continuum,” said Ji Pingping, deputy director of the Shanghai Opera House.The creative team of

uses flashbacks, jump cuts and other techniques to penetrate the depth of history and highlight the epoch-making significance and artistic appeal of calligraphy art. "We comprehensively used techniques such as dreams, narration, and plays within plays to make the story spanning thousands of years more vivid and exciting." Director and choreographer Wang Yabin told reporters that this dance drama organically combines poetic artistic conception with dramatic plots , through multi-line narrative, dual-space parallelism and other techniques, it tells the story of "Lanting" that has been passed down to future generations. "'Nine Years of Yonghe' is a humanistic retrospective and outlook using 'calligraphy' works as a carrier, connecting the past with the current aesthetic context, establishing resonance with the audience, and showing the condensation and brilliance of artistic classics."

in the dance vocabulary In terms of innovation, "Nine Years of Yonghe" subtly infiltrates calligraphy elements wherever the eye can see. The work emphasizes the "vivid charm" of Chinese classical dance, and "imitates" the strength, amplitude, succession, and transition of calligraphy through the high coordination of "twisting and tilting melody" and "hand, eye, and body steps" between movements. "'Nine Years of Yonghe' is a new masterpiece that explores and creates a new masterpiece that combines Chinese classical dance elements with modern dance vocabulary. It is also an artistic practice that adheres to integrity and innovation and bravely shoulderes the mission of the times." Zhang Songhua, President of the Shanghai Grand Theater Art Center, looks forward to more audiences Enter the theater, feel the beauty of the artistic conception of the winding water cup, and taste the cultural power that transcends time and space.

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Text: Xuan Jing Pictures: Photos provided by Shanghai Opera House Editor: Fan Jing

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