Iconic ballet set to return

Celebrated art director Tim Yip was invited to design the costumes. Yip, who is best known for his work in films and dance productions, won an Oscar for art direction for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2001 and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for best costume design for the same film, becoming the first Chinese person to receive these accolades.

"I've done lots of dance projects, so I understand the relationship between costumes and dancers. When the dancers move, the costumes function differently compared to costumes worn by singers or movie actors," says Yip. "Wang showed me lots of materials and we both agree on making the costumes simple, light, silky and flowing. The production is a combination of Western ballet with Chinese folk tale. The costumes are also a mix of the West and the East."

The creative team members include composer Guo Haowei and stage designer Ren Dongsheng.

According to Zou, after the premiere in Beijing, The Legend of the White Snake will tour nationwide by visiting Chinese cities, including Shanghai; Guangzhou, Guangdong province; Chengdu, Sichuan province; and Zhengzhou, Henan province.

Zou notes that the Guangzhou Ballet will celebrate its 30th birthday this November. Besides The Legend of the White Snake, the company will also stage its original ballet production, titled Flag, in Beijing's Tianqiao Performing Arts Center on Aug 1 and 2.

Flag is based on the Guangzhou Uprising in 1927 in South China's Guangdong, where the Communists attempted to wrest control of the city from Kuomintang forces. The Guangzhou Uprising's central figure, Zhang Tailei (1898-1927) was portrayed in the ballet production.

"We created Flag as a gift to mark the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the ballet production was premiered on July 1, 2021," says Zou, adding that Flag was also choreographed by Wang, which was the first collaboration between Wang and the company.

"When Zhang Tailei died, he was 29 years old. When I read the script of Flag for the first time, I was 29 years old too," says ballet dancer Kou Zuquan of the Guangzhou Ballet, who plays the role of Zhang in Flag. "He was aspirational and young, and devoted his own life to revolution. Even for today's young people, this story is stimulating and inspirational."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn