Jerusalem Theater kicks off Lunar New Year celebrations

On Jan 16, the modern dance drama Symbiosis was staged at the Jerusalem Theater, kicking off this year's Happy Chinese New Year celebrations in Israel, which have been held for seven years in the country.

Symbiosis, co-choreographed by the Beijing 9 Contemporary Dance Theater, Israel SOL Dance Company and Silk Road International Performing Arts Alliance, was specially created in memory of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Israeli diplomatic relations.

The show was inspired by the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and Chinese ancient city walls, both symbolizing solidarity in each culture. The artistic representation of the two typical cultural images resonated well with viewers from both cultures.

In August the drama made its debut at the 2017 New Dance International Arts Festival in Beijing and in September. It was performed at the 4th Silk Road International Arts Festival in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, attracting glowing reviews from Chinese artists and audiences. This year, at the invitation of the Israeli side, the Symbiosis dancers took the show on the road to some of Israel's major cities, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Happy Chinese New Year is a worldwide activity for celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and other Chinese authorities since 2009. It seeks to provide a global platform that is joyful, harmonious and accessible to all, to encourage people across the world to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, experience the profound yet interesting Chinese culture and understand the huge achievements China has made. This year, over 2,100 cultural activities will be held in over 400 cities across more than 140 countries and regions worldwide.