Ballet "Echoes Of Eternity", choreographed by Patrick de Bana and inspired by Bai Juyi's ancient Chinese poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow," is staged in London. (Photo/fmprc.gov.cn)
Shanghai Ballet made an impressive return to the London Coliseum on Wednesday with their exquisite new production, Echoes of Eternity, which is based on a traditional tragic love story in Chinese literature.
Echoes Of Eternity, choreographed by Patrick de Bana and inspired by Bai Juyi's ancient Chinese poem "Song of Everlasting Sorrow," depicts one of China's most popular legends: the romance between the all-powerful Emperor Tang Xuanzong and his favorite concubine, Yang Yuhuan, which ended in tragedy and led to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty.
Shanghai Ballet brings this contemporary version of the 8th century story to the Coliseum, one of the largest and most magnificent theaters in London, with a cast of award-winning young principals, including Wu Husheng as the emperor and Qi Bingxue as Lady Yang.
"I believe this modern ballet production of an oriental story will create a refreshing theater experience for the British audience and further enrich the culture and art exchange in the 'Golden Era' of China-UK relations," said Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador to the UK, in a congratulatory message to the performance.
Echoes of Eternity is an original work that presents Chinese productions to the international stage, said Xin Lili, director of Shanghai Ballet. "The ballet is inspired by a Chinese poem telling the love story of the emperor through a fresh new presentation with the international creation concept."
Choreographer de Bana has chosen an eclectic score which ranges from Henryk Gorecki to Armand Amar, from Philip Glass to Kodo to drive the scenes of love and high drama.
De Bana told Xinhua that he started planning Echoes of Eternity when he was working on Jane Eyre which Shanghai Ballet performed at their highly successful UK debut in 2013. "I was drawn by the name of the book - Song of Everlasting Sorrow -- the moment I laid eyes on it," he said.
"In China the lives of emperors are general knowledge but in Echoes of Eternity I speak for Lady Yang. To me it was Lady Yang who made Emperor Tang Xuanzong famous; with her at his side, he became a towering figure. But I think the strongest part of the story is the lengths Lady Yang will go to in the name of love."
Shanghai Ballet made its UK debut at the London Coliseum in 2013 with de Bana's version of Jane Eyre which garnered good reviews and a lot of new fans.
Shanghai Ballet Company is part of the Shanghai Grand Theatre Arts Group, and performs a blend of traditional Chinese and western dance styles. The company collaborates with internationally renowned dance practitioners and participates in highly successful cultural exchanges with other artists and companies from China and abroad.
