Xinjiang's large-scale historical original dance drama "Zhang Qian" has lasted for 4 years and will be premiered at the Urumqi Grand Theater recently. In fact, starting rehearsals at the beginning of this year, in just a few months, completing a dance drama is not only a challenge for the executive director, but also an experience and learning. In this regard, Yan Hongxia, executive director of Xinjiang's original dance drama "Zhang Qian", executive directors Dong Huaxing and Gasul Tursun, felt a lot.
Yan Hongxia, executive director of the dance drama "Zhang Qian":
He is a national first-class actor and choreographer, a former choreographer of the Creation Studio of the War Department of the Southern Theater, and the artistic director of Xi'an Performing Arts Group. His major works include the dance drama "Mazu", "All Creatures", "Silk Road Flower Rain", "Sanjia Lane", the acrobatic drama "Swan Lake" and the dance works "Feitian", "Lotus Song", "Lotus Lotus", "Wangyu", "Female Soldier Sketch", etc., and have won the gold medal of the "Lotus Cup" National Dance Drama Competition and the Five One National Engineering Award. "Wenhua" Award, "Lotus Cup" National Dance Competition Performance Gold Award, Silver Award, etc.
Yan Hongxia, executive director of the dance drama "Zhang Qian"
"It's a challenge"
"It is a great honor to receive the task of directing this dance drama, Zhang Qian is a pioneer of the Silk Road, how to interpret and express such a historical figure well, for me, is a challenge." Speaking of the dance drama "Zhang Qian", Yan Hongxia, the tall, thin and capable executive director, has a pair of clear and bright eyes, full of seriousness and sincerity.
Although Yan Hongxia has previously directed some nationally renowned dance dramas and dance works and won many national awards, she has not created works with Xinjiang themes, especially Xinjiang historical themes, which makes her feel a little strange and stressed.
After being assigned to the task, she was not only responsible for the arrangement and arrangement of the overall work of the entire crew, but also served as the choreographer of the second and third acts of "Observing the Festival" and "Passing the Festival", which was a very large workload.
"These two acts mainly tell the story of Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, along the way, he spread Chinese culture and civilization, and brought many things from the Western Regions back to the Central Plains, it should be said that these two acts are the most difficult process of showing Zhang Qian walking on the road, and they are also an important part of this drama." Yan Hongxia said that there are many dramatic contradictions and conflicts in the play, such as between Zhang Qian and the Xiongnu, Zhang Qian and the Xiongnu princess who loves each other, etc., that kind of emotional entanglement and dramatic contradictions and conflicts, how to weave together with dance, accurately narrate and express the emotions of the characters, for me, is a challenge. ”
Zhang Qian and his mission completed their mission in an extremely difficult living environment like the desert wind and sand. The repertoire is different from the performance of the conventional stage, but a revolving platform with a height of more than 2 meters is designed, combining dance and mechanical devices, using the multi-dimensional space and change of the stage to express Zhang Qian's spirit and emotion of not failing in his mission and perseverance, whether it is for choreography or actor performance, there is a difficulty. Yan Hongxia said that fortunately, the actors were particularly cooperative, which made her feel very pleased.
"The actors rehearsed from morning to noon, rested for 1 hour, everyone lay in the rehearsal hall for a while, and then rehearsed, especially hard, but everyone was very dedicated, did their best, carefully completed every rehearsal, and cooperated with each other very harmoniously. I think that everyone works together to challenge themselves, which should be to inherit the spirit of Zhang Qian. Finally, Yan Hongxia said movingly.
Dong Huaxing, executive director of the dance drama "Zhang Qian":
Young dancer, director of Liaoning Provincial Dancers Association, visiting professor of Dance College of Shandong Youth Political College, former second-class actor of Shenyang Military Region Forward Song and Dance Troupe. He has participated in the "Tao Li Cup", the All-Army Literary and Art Show and the National Dance Competition for many times and won the first and second prizes, and has been invited to participate in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and the CCTV Lantern Party for many times, and has starred and choreographed many dance dramas and dance works such as "Mei Lanfang", "Chushui Bashan", "Happy Flower Mountain", "Picking Mountain" and dance poem "Hulunbuir Great Snow Field".
Dong Huaxing, executive director of the dance drama "Zhang Qian"
"It was an experience"
"I feel very honored to learn with Xing Shimiao and Gao Gao, the two general directors, the history of Zhang Qian and his hardships on the Silk Road desert. At the same time, the two directors were very demanding, and I learned a lot by modifying some of the dance sections and details. Dong Huaxing said.
"Although I have served as the choreographer of many dance dramas before, this dance drama has brought me, including the actors, a different creative concept, a new expansion, and an experience." Dong Huaxing said.
Dong Huaxing is the director of the first and fourth acts, whether it is the grasp of the personality of the characters or the expression of emotions, whether it is the grand scene of the ascension of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to the throne or the fierce scene of the Xiongnu iron horse galloping rapidly, whether it is the minister of culture and military affairs or the palace women, so that the design of each dance section and each dance movement, including props, conforms to the plot processing, conforms to the character personality, and grasps the historical plot and the western style. In the arrangement, Dong Huaxing repeatedly thought and revised, and experienced himself.
The choreographer is in the experience, the actors are also in the experience, especially the male and female protagonists are particularly outstanding. In Dong Huaxing's view, they are worthy of being national-level actors, and every rehearsal is very serious and dedicated, and every time they strive for excellence. Especially the double dance they danced, a movement, a lift, a look, repeated grinding, and even they danced over and over again with tears, that passion and high standard requirements, I was particularly moved.
"Some actors have back pain, foot pain, neck pain, injury, and are still rehearsing. In particular, the actors of the 7-member mission, who have been dancing on the dangerous slopes, may have injured their waists and legs if they are not careful. Even if you are not injured, you will have back pain and leg pain every day in rehearsal. But they still follow the choreographer, revise it over and over again, and hon it with all their heart, which is actually a recognition of the director. ”
"Through constant self-reflection, denial of myself, and experience of myself, let me see the light of history, see my own beliefs, like Zhang Qian, bravely move forward, never stop going down, to climb new artistic peaks." This is Dong Huaxing's biggest feeling.
Executive director of the dance drama "Zhang Qian", Gasul Tursun:
Deputy head of the Song and Dance Troupe of Xinjiang Art Theater, national first-class director. His representative works include the dance drama "The Love of Shule", the music and dance poem "Dance Steps under the Sun", the song and dance evening "Xinjiang is a Good Place" and the dance "Mountain Eagle State", "Bell Girl", etc., and have won the "Wenhua Award" of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, the "Five One Project Award" of the Central Propaganda Department, and the "Tianshan Literature and Art Award" of the Autonomous Region.
The executive director of the dance drama "Zhang Qian", Gasol Tursun
"It's a learning"
"I and Padzileti Turhong have always been very fond of the Xinjiang works created by Xing Shimiao and Director Gao Gao, from the song and dance drama "Warm Heavenly Mountain" of which he is the general director to the music and dance poem "Dance Steps under the Sun", we have participated in it and learned a lot of things, this time as the executive director of the dance drama "Zhang Qian", I feel that the task is arduous, the significance is extraordinary, and it is a new study." Gasur Tursun said with emotion.
"In the past, when we came back from collecting wind in the north and south, we could directly create. This time is different, this is a dance drama with historical themes, there is no folk dance material, only from the limited historical records to extract dance elements to create, more importantly, Zhang Qian's character has important historical significance. Therefore, this choreography task makes me feel more difficult than ever. Gasur Turson said, but it is precisely because of the difficulty that he is more motivated to do his best to complete the creation.
Relying on the dance art style left over from the history of Xinjiang, considering the hard life and optimistic and humorous character of the people in the area at that time, as well as the modern dance choreography concept that he was good at, and then digesting, absorbing and creating, Gasur Tursun felt that this choreography and learning was hard, painful, but also happy.
In the rehearsal, what made Gasul Tursun feel difficult was his "Water Tank Dance", which was changed today and changed tomorrow, constantly trying to find a foothold of emotion in body language expression. Some dance sections were modified seven or eight times to basically find the Western style and feeling. During repeated revisions and rehearsals, the actor's tired eyes made him feel painful.
It was this painful and grinding process that allowed Gasur Turson to learn a lot. For example, actors in Xinjiang, known as the "hometown of song and dance", are good at expressing emotional dance, and they are more difficult to portray characters, classical Chinese dance, and contemporary dance. Gasur Tursun led the actors to learn how to perform dance narratives, how to shape characters, and how to express inner emotions. In the end, they gained a lot, and the actors improved a lot, making them feel that it was a glorious thing to be able to participate in such a real dance drama in their lifetime.
Author: Zhang Yingchun Guo Shaowei