Setting up a new body of work

Every spring, a handful of aspiring dancers and choreographers of the National Ballet of China spend extra time in the company's studios, preparing for its annual dance workshop.

By working with one another, especially dancers of the company who serve as the interpreter for their artistic vision, the young people, some of whom are first-time choreographers, have been practicing composition, designing, and creating dance works of their own.

From May 1 to Wednesday, the fruits of their labor were shown onstage at a gala.

"Over the past 12 springs, we were delighted to see several young talents actively participate with their artistic creations. They were full of courage to innovate," says Feng Ying, director of the National Ballet of China, adding that she can recall the first workshop in the spring of 2010, which saw young dancers use their spare time choreographing and practicing in the company day and night.

As of last year, the annual workshop had attracted 33 Chinese and foreign choreographers who presented 67 original ballet productions.

This year, 13 young choreographers brought nine new works to the workshop.

"The original goal of the workshop was to discover new choreographers who will become a major force for the company's future productions. We have a tradition of original ballet works, thanks to our first generation of artists. That goal has not changed," says Feng. "Twelve years make a cycle in Chinese zodiac. This is our 13th workshop, which marks a new beginning."

The company, founded in 1959, is not only known for its adaptations of Western classic ballets such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote and Giselle, but also original and adapted Chinese works such as The Red Detachment of Women, Raise the Red Lantern and The Peony Pavilion.

"Every choreographer tries to make the dancing they see in their heads come alive onstage, which is exciting. We spend time discussing their works and inspire one another," says Li Yang, director of this year's ballet workshop gala.

Li joined the company in 2012.He participated in the workshop as a young choreographer in 2015, and has presented his works at the annual event eight times.

This year, along with two young ballet dancers, Zheng Yu and Wang Qi, Li has choreographed a new work, symphonic ballet Ode to Joy, to the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No 9 in D minor, Op 125.

Star dancers, such as Ma Xiaodong and Zhan Xinlu, perform in the ballet piece. The piece explores the issue of humanity and delivers ideas about building a shared future.

Cells for Good, a ballet piece by choreographers She Zhaohuan and Teng Jiankai, both dancers of the company, was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Abstractly, the piece displays the imagination of the choreographers, who portray a war between white blood cells and the virus. Music from Polish composer Henryk Gorecki's String Quartets No 2, Op 64 and Easy Listening for the Hard of Hearing by composers Boyd Rice and Frank Tovey are featured in the ballet piece.

"It's the first time I have participated in the workshop, and I didn't expect my work to be staged at the gala, which makes me happy and proud," says Teng, who graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy in 2011 and joined the National Ballet of China the same year.

"The piece features movements that display a sense of humor. It is a fun piece, and we simply want to wish everyone good health by presenting it.

"The goal of presenting a piece onstage is to communicate with the audience rather than focusing on expressing ourselves. I enjoy the transition of communicating with the audience as a dancer and now as a choreographer," Teng adds.

According to Feng, this year's youngest participant is 13-year-old Zhang Muzi, a student of the company's ballet school who brought her work titled Detective.

"She is in her second year studying at the school. When the dance had its debut, the novice choreographer impressed us," says Feng.

Performed by Zhang, the work displays the dancer's techniques as she portrays a detective working on a case.

Sun Haifeng's work, One to Two, combines ballet movements with lingzi, a symbolic headwear of Peking Opera, a traditional art form. The long headwear, usually made of pheasant feathers, is used on warriors' helmets or officials' hats, displaying rank.

"The beautiful headwear is new to me. It became an inspiration when I choreographed my work. The headwear is traditional and the chemistry with the ballet movements is interesting," says Sun, who made his debut last year with Before the Next Move.

"With the experience of participating in the workshop, I learned to think as a choreographer. It was more like a training process, which was rewarding," says Sun.