10 October 2020
“Da Di Song Ge”(Ode to the Earth), a large-scale epic song and dance drama, which comprehensively reflects the course of targeted poverty alleviation in Hunan Province, has recently premiered in Meixihu International Culture and Art Center, Changsha Municipality, Hunan Province. “Da Di Song Ge” is sponsored by the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and jointly produced by the Hunan Performing Arts group and the Hunan Radio and Television Group, in which 24 students from the College of Dance of Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) were invited to go to Changsha and participate the dance "Ma Sang Shu Er Da Deng Tai" (Lamp Stands Made of Coriaria Sinia).
Led by Yang Xinhua, Vice Dean of the College of Dance, and Liu Jianming, teacher in charge of the team, 24 students of Chinese dance arrived in Changsha from their homes in different parts of the country on 1 September, and went into intense and efficient rehearsals on 2 September right away. They learnt the movements on the first day, rehearsed the formation on the second day, and conducted the integrated stage rehearsal on the third day, all of which tested the stage response ability and efficient and rapid learning ability of our students.
The rehearsals of theSTA College of Dance team were from early morning till late night over a nearly month-long period. But no matter how hard the rehearsal was in the previous day, our students always returned to the rehearsal hall fully energeticthe next day.
It is an honor for the students of STA to be able to take part in the cultural and artistic publicity activities launched by Hunan Province for poverty alleviation. The students of STA should not only perform the dance with heart and emotion and give their 100% in each performance, but also clearly understand that they bear the heavy responsibility of building and developing the cultural soft power of our country.
