"The middle reaches of the small bamboo pai river, the gushing river flows eastward, the red star shines, the battle is like a tidal wave according to me, and the revolution is surging from generation to generation, going forward and following the party, and going forward and following the party." With this popular song resounding throughout the theater, the three-timely modified ballet "Shining Red Star" was once again performed at the Shanghai Grand Theatre two days ago. The red star shines not only on the figure of revolutionaries who have gone forward to find the road to light, but also for the determination of ballet people to create the Chinese school of ballet.
Illustration: Stills of the ballet "Shining Red Star" Official picture (the same below)
Yesterday, the National Arts Fund's 2020 rolling funding project "Shining Red Star" "Three Reforms" expert seminar was held in Shanghai. Among the many likes, the Topic of Chinese Dancer and Choreographer Shu Qiao is the most thought-provoking, in her opinion, the most exciting thing is to see a new exploration of the nationalization of Chinese ballet in the "Red Star", following the "Red Girl Scout Army" and "White Haired Girl", it may be able to make a big step forward in the establishment of the Chinese school of ballet.
When it comes to Chinese ballet classics, it is naturally difficult to skip "Red Detachment of Women" and "White Haired Girl". However, whether it is "The Red Detachment of Women" born in 1964 or "The White-Haired Girl" premiered in 1965, it is more than half a century ago, can there be another classic on the ballet stage that can be left behind and spread? Can the Chinese school of ballet find a new path? It is the knot in the hearts of many balleters, and it is also their prayer.
Shu Qiao said frankly that more than fifty years ago, due to objective conditions, even if it is two classics, it can obviously feel that there is very little ballet flavor, mostly Chinese dance. But in fact, ballet is a very rich language. After hundreds of years of development, Western ballet has formed different schools such as Italy, France, Russia, Denmark, Britain, and the United States, and each school is closely integrated with its own national character. In the process of nationalization of ballet, Chinese balleters have also been exploring how to establish the Chinese school.
Chinese ballet has developed from the founding years of the classic works "Red Detachment of Women" and "White Haired Girl" to the "modern school" that combines ballet and modern dance, and now enters the third stage of development of ballet nationalization, and the ballet "Shining Red Star" is undoubtedly an extremely important work of exploration. The "Red Star" of choreographer Zhao Ming's "three reforms" allowed Shu Qiao to see the organic combination of classical ballet elements and national dance: "The work fully uses classical ballet technology, and combines it with ethnic folk dance and Chinese classical dance, and finally integrates it into the creation of dance drama... This is very difficult to do, it is also engaged in choreography, I know that the experience provided by 'Red Star' choreography and creation is very valuable and important for the development of the nationalization of Chinese ballet. ”
As one of the symbols of Haipai culture, Shanghai Ballet firmly grasps the original and always explores the integration of red repertoire and Haipai style, and the troupe leader Xin Lili frankly said: "'Shining Red Star' has undergone an octave of manuscript change, three major changes, and performed hundreds of performances across the country in three or four years, relying on the love, persistence and faith in ballet. In this process, Fan Xiaofeng, who had experienced a ruptured Achilles tendon, put on tiptoe shoes again, Qi Bingxue, who was rotating in rehearsals and performances, jumped to the nails falling off, and Wu Husheng, who played Pan Dongzi, was gritting his teeth even if his Achilles tendon was repeatedly inflamed. Xin Lili said: "Our goal is to tell Chinese stories well in ballet vocabulary, and we hope to leave another work on the Chinese ballet stage." (Xinmin Evening News reporter Zhu Yuan)