Choreographer Zheng Jie brings the dance show
Three Rules of Admonition before an audience in Romania. CHINA DAILY
Singing and dancing are taking place around the globe as China welcomes more and more foreign shows, reports Zhang Kun.
As the China Shanghai International Arts Festival reaps the rewards of promoting the performing arts to audiences around the world, eight theatre productions from China will be presented in Edinburgh, Scotland this month.
“For more than 20 years, we have been dedicated to bringing high-quality shows from abroad to China and promoting outstanding local productions to the world,” said Li Ming, president of the CSIAF Center, at a press conference last Thursday, announcing the list of 13 productions that the CSIAF successfully introduced to overseas markets this year.
“Last year, after the impact of the pandemic, we saw the return of foreign productions to the Shanghai Festival. This year, we are delighted that foreign art markets are opening up to our shows,” he says.
Until Tuesday, eight productions from China will be presented at the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
They are: “Riding Alone,” a puppet show about a young artist’s journey of self-discovery by the Shenzhen Puppet Art Theatre from Guangdong Province; “Look at Them!”, a dance and physical theatre show by Wen Xiaochao; “Forging the Swords,” a play adapted from the short story of the same name by Lu Xun, produced by the Central Academy of Drama; “Hi, Sid!”, an original musical by the Ju You Yi Si Theatre Troupe; “The Love Bridge,” a Huju opera programme by the Shanghai Huju Opera Theatre; “Ancient Ship,” an original musical production by the CSIAF Youth Art Troupe; “Beautiful Earth,” a gala concert by the Little Companion Art Troupe, a company founded in 1955 at the China Welfare Institute Children’s Palace; and the concert by pipa virtuoso Wu Man.
The original musical Ancient Ship tells the story of the excavation of a shipwreck at the mouth of the Yangtze River over 150 years ago and reveals Shanghai’s rich cultural heritage and historical development. All but one of the songs is performed in English. The performing group, CSIAF Youth Art Troupe, was founded last year and consists of primary and middle school students from Shanghai.
