Xinmin Evening News, 28 September 2017
Reporter: Zhu Yuan
To deduce all creatures with the body of youth, show the revival of civilization with the dance of youth and summon the harmony of the world in the name of youth, the Shanghai Theatre Academy's original dance drama "Birth of All Creatures" premiered at the Shanghai International Dance Center last night. Different from the traditional dance drama which focuses more on the story telling, "Birth of All Creatures" spares no efforts in rendering the artistic conception. On the stage, the people, dance and scenery melted into one, looking like a dancing Chinese painting. Whether it was the primitive and retro-style but also super realistic character modeling or the magnificent freehand choreography close to the ancient mythology atmosphere, it all made the audience feel the vitality of the budding growth of all creatures from the chaos at the beginning of the heaven and earth.
At the beginning of the whole play, the three hollow Chinese characters for “Birth of All Creatures” were gradually colored with ink in the flowing sound of music. On the creamy white curtain, the ink color slowly spread out looking like the plum blossoms. Behind the curtain, the earth bred all creatures with the dancers twisting their bodies to keep the heads up from time to time just like the buds about to break through the earth. They represented all creatures in the world overtopping the ground and growing silently but rapidly in the moonlight. From the waned moon to the full moon, the Queen of Night also danced for the recovery of all creatures in her light blue dance costume and with her crystal face, and all creatures gradually grew strong with the rhythm of the dance of the Queen of Night.
The Queen of Night descended three times symbolizing the reincarnation of Heaven, the circulation of Yin and Yang and the continuous reproduction of all creatures. At the moment when the "spirit" and "life" blended, the new life was born again, and it was in this repeating circle that life transformed from invisible to tangible and from ignorant to intelligent, became more humble and abundant, and finally achieved the natural harmony with the universe. Although the whole dance drama was only 80 minutes, it was full of the philosophical thinking of the harmony between nature and human being and the highest ideal of global harmony, and was filled with the blessings and best wishes for the road of life.
It is reported that this dance drama is the joint production of the Shanghai Academy Academy’s College of Dance and Shanghai Theatre Academy’s Youth Dance Troupe, with Lu Ling, Yan Hongxia and Wu Ning as the screenwriters and directors. (Editor: Rongshu)
