What's on

The Light of Heart

When: Dec 16, 7:30 pm

Where: Beijing Tianqiao Theater

Presented by dancers of the National Ballet of China, the ballet drama The Light of Heart tells the story of a romance between violinist Nian Yu and a Dunhuang art protector, Wu Ming.

Nian learned about the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes art while in Paris, which induced her to visit Gansu province. There she met and fell in love with Wu, who protects the murals.

Dunhuang was the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. It connected China, the Middle East and parts of Europe over the centuries. The National Ballet of China has mixed ancient and modern ballet techniques to create a project that matches the glamorous and mysterious grottoes.

Shanghai Grand Theater New Year's Concert 2020

When: Dec 30 and 31, 7:30 pm

Where: Shanghai Grand Theater

After five years of excellence, the Shanghai Grand Theater and the Shanghai Opera House join hands for the sixth New Year's Concert, which is also the opening performance for Shanghai Opera House's 2020 season.

Italian conductor Fabio Luisi, together with the symphony orchestra and chorus from the Shanghai Opera House, will delight audiences. Now the music director of Zurich Opera House and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Luisi has conducted and directed multiple world-class orchestras, including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Opera of Florence and the Metropolitan Opera House Orchestra.

Pieces from Rossini, Mozart, and Symphony No 2 in D major by Brahms will be performed on Dec 30. The second concert, on Dec 31, will include vocals from several leading soloists, and the traditional annual performance of Beethoven's Symphony No 9 in D minor.

Napoleon, the Man Who Never Sleeps

When: Dec 31 to Jan 2, 7:30 pm

Where: Guangzhou Opera House

Takarazuka Revue is an all-female theater company founded in Takarazuka, Japan, in 1914. Women play both the male and female roles in lavish Broadway-style productions.

Former members of the company will bring Napoleon, the Man Who Never Sleeps to audiences in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The play focuses on a love story of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), the French military leader and emperor who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century.

Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution (1789-99). The ambitious and skilled military strategist successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire.

However, after his disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812, Napoleon abdicated the throne and was exiled to the island of Elba.

My Bucket List

When: Dec 31 to Jan 4, 7:30 pm; Jan 1 and 4, 2 pm

Where: Shanghai Culture Square

The Chinese version of the musical My Bucket List tells the story of two young men during their last few days of life.

Rather than receiving treatment, 19-year-old Liu Bao chooses to complete his bucket list by doing things like giving a concert, marrying his idol and designing his own funeral.

He hires a rebellious teenager, Yang Xiaoyu, who has previously attempted suicide, to help him. While keeping the general structure of the original South Korean version, many Chinese jokes are carefully mixed into this version.

It's a story of laughter instead of tears.

The Chinese New Year

When: Jan 17-19, 7:30 pm

Where: National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing

With its dazzling hybrid of Western ballet and Chinese culture, the National Ballet of China has won a distinguished reputation for performing cherished works and original creations. It will delight audiences with The Chinese New Year, the localized version of The Nutcracker before the Spring Festival, which falls on Jan 25.

Premiering in 2001 and revised in 2010, the ballet presents a long scroll of Chinese festival customs.

In the ballet, Yuanyuan is a girl living in a hutong (alley) in Beijing. In her dream on New Year's Eve, she meets with the legendary monster Nian and embarks on a mystical journey in a world of Chinese folklore.

Lord of the Dance

When: Jan 26-28, 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm; Jan 29 and 30, 7:30 pm

Where: National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing

Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley.

In 1994, Flatley changed the face of Irish dance forever with his breathtaking creation Riverdance. He broke the mold of traditional Irish dancing by incorporating upper-body movement and creating edgy rhythmic patterns that departed from the traditional.

Flatley went on to create Lord of the Dance, which made its debut at the Point Theater in Dublin in 1996.

It was inspired by ancient Irish folklore and features the Lord of the Dance battling an evil force for control of Planet Ireland.