Shanghai Grand Theater takes 'Lady White Snake' to New York

A revised version of Shanghai Grand Theater Creative Center's dance drama "Lady White Snake" will be presented to overseas audiences in July at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

With Shanghai-born ballerina Tan Yuanyuan the artistic director, the production was created in 2022 by an international team, including choreographer Edwaard Liang, borrowing inspiration from the classic Chinese folk tale "The Legend of the White Snake."

According to director Zhou Ke, this revised version adjusts the plot in the second half, discussing topics such as self-awakening and self-acceptance from a more feminist perspective.

Also, more group dance choreography has been arranged to enhance the presentation of the protagonists' psychological changes.

"When performing abroad, we target foreign audiences who are interested in Chinese culture, as well as Chinese people living overseas," said Zhou.

"Our dance drama combines ballet with Chinese classical dance, which is a new attempt in the dance world," she said. "This is a dialogue between the two sexes, a dialogue between rules and freedom, and also a dialogue between the East and the West."

Before the New York trip, local audiences will get to see the latest production. Two casts – "Moon" and "Luck" – will take turns to present three performances at Shanghai Grand Theater from February 28 to March 2.

The "Moon" group includes the original dancers – Liaoning Ballet principal dancer Ao Dingwen and Shanghai Opera House Dance Ensemble's principal dancers Tan Yimei, Song Yu.

The "Luck" group stars Cincinnati Ballet principal dancer Liu Sirui, Béjart Ballet Lausanne principal dancer Sun Jiayong and Beijing Dance Academy dancer Wang Nianci.

"The 'Moon' group consists of old acquaintances who are more stable, while the 'Luck' group appears to be more agile," said Zhou. "Although the music and choreography are the same, the audience will get different feelings when watching the two cast sets given the varied physical conditions of the performers and their understanding of the roles."

Last weekend, a preview performance by the "Luck" group was staged at Suzhou Shishan Grand Theater in neighboring Jiangsu Province.

To explore links with theaters in the Yangtze River Delta region, Shanghai Grand Theater provides Shishan Grand Theater with support in programs, theater management and operation. Some popular performances in Shanghai will be introduced to Shishan for Suzhou audiences.

"Suzhou and Shanghai have similar temperaments, while their audiences have many overlapping interests," said Shanghai Grand Theater general manager Zhang Xiaoding.

"We start from Suzhou to explore the linkages with other cities," she said. "In turn, holding rehearsals and previews of some programs in Shishan can help reduce the production cost of Shanghai Grand Theater, which is mutually beneficial for the two parties."

Performance info:

Dates: February 28-March 2, 2:30pm/7:30pm

Tickets: 180-880 yuan

Venue: Shanghai Grand Theater 上海大劇院

Address: 300 People's Ave 人民大道300號