Dance drama Thunderstorm makes Beijing debut

　　 Dance drama Thunderstorm gave two performances at Beijing's Poly Theatre on March 29 and 30. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　Following its premiere in Shanghai last July, dance drama Thunderstorm embarked on its first nationwide tour, visiting six cities — Nanjing, Suzhou and Yangzhou in Jiangsu province, Wuhan in Hubei province, Changsha in Hunan province, and Zhengzhou in Henan province.

　　As the dance drama is a stage rendition of playwright Cao Yu's eponymous classic play, a special commemorative edition of the dance drama made its Beijing debut on March 29, with two performances from March 29 to 30 at Poly Theatre.

　　Dance drama Thunderstorm gave two performances at Beijing's Poly Theatre on March 29 and 30. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　The Beijing edition was joined by Shan Chong, artistic director of China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, eight dance artists such as Shen Xubin, Sun Qiuyue and Zhao Lei, as well as young dancers from Shanghai Theatre Academy's dance college.

　　According to the production's chief director Zhao Xiaogang, the performance centers on eight main characters. Each character is portrayed in vivid detail, aiming to allow the audience to explore the complex emotions of each role.

　　Shanghai Oriental Art Center is the chief producing company of the production. "Created to honor a classic, dance drama Thunderstorm innovatively adapts classic texts for a stage with contemporary aesthetics and spirit, reflecting the evolving aesthetics of Shanghai Oriental Art Center and its creations," says Lei Wen, general manager of the center.