The "Moonlight" of Shanghai shines on the grasslands, and "The Light of the Earth" performs a dance in Ordos | Work | The Light of the Earth

The 14th National Dance Exhibition is currently being held in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. This is a national level art festival in the field of dance, which has produced a large number of excellent dance works over the past 40 years, and has explored and cultivated numerous creative and performing talents. As the only ballet work among them, Shanghai Ballet's "Light of the Earth" was performed at the Cultural and Art Center of Dalu New District in Zhungeer Banner on the evening of July 17th and 18th. A round of moon rises on the stage, and the moonlight from Shanghai shines on the vast grasslands. In addition to over 1000 live viewers every night, there is also online live streaming that allows Shanghai style ballet to reach more audiences.

"The Light of the Earth" is the fifth work created by Wu Husheng, the deputy director and chief actress of the Shanghai Ballet. He drew inspiration from Debussy's "Moonlight" and Beethoven's "Moonlight", and portrayed three characters on stage: "Light", "Chaser of Light", and "Night Watcher". He told the story of a "Chaser of Light" born in a chaotic world, chasing light, sowing light, and ultimately becoming light, praising the fearlessness, indomitability, and tenacity of life.

This is the first time that the local audience, Wu Rentuya, has watched ballet. She said, "I was moved by the artists from Shanghai. The dance and music were so beautiful, as if I could see moonlight shaking off their bodies. Welcome them back and watch the round and bright moon rising from the grassland."

Using Shanghai style ballet to convey the power of hope

At 2am on July 17th, Xin Lili, the head of the Shanghai Ballet, arrived at Zhungeer Banner and arrived at the theater at noon to guide the actors in practicing on stage. The night before the performance, the water pipe in the theater ruptured, causing water to enter the actors' lounge and wetting many people's practice shoes and toe shoes. She searched for spare dance shoes while arranging to expose the soaked shoes to the sun. Fortunately, the grassland was sunny, and by the time of the performance, the shoes had almost dried in the sun.

Before the performance, Xin Lili guided the actors on stage to take photos: Wu Tong

Recently, the Shanghai Ballet has been rushing to perform one after another without stopping. Before coming to Ordos, Xin Lili told reporters that they had just rehearsed four works within six days, including "Marco Polo - The Last Mission", "The Light of the Earth", "Giselle", and "The White Haired Woman". "Although everyone is working hard, they are also very passionate and cherish every opportunity to take the stage," said Xin Lili.

Four hours before the performance, Wu Husheng was still repeatedly polishing some scenes with the actors. In "The Light of the Earth", there is a dialogue between ballet and symphony, and the dancers on stage use their body movements to create the flow of music. Unlike dancing Swan Lake, which pursues neat and uniform movements, dancing Light of the Earth emphasizes more on the rhythm of the body. Whenever one person makes a mistake, it will break the overall rhythm and texture. Just like the musicians of a symphony orchestra have to listen to each other while playing, dancers also need to feel each other's breathing in order to achieve tacit understanding.

Pre performance rehearsal photography: Wu Tong

Wu Husheng said to the dancers, "Dance is an art of striving for excellence. Even if you are 0.01 seconds slow, you will be seen. I hope everyone can bring the best performance to the audience, and I also hope you can enjoy the stage tonight."

Before the performance, Wu Husheng discussed the details of the work with the actors. Photography: Wu Tong

"The Light of the Earth" was completed by the Shanghai Ballet's independent creative team composed of Wu Husheng, lighting designer Liu Haiyuan, stage design Huang Jiajie, clothing design Shi Yunzhi, and others. It premiered in November last year and won the Excellent Creation Award and Excellent Performance Award at the Second Yangtze River Delta Professional Dance Exhibition in March this year. Wu Husheng said, "Since my first attempt at creation, I have been exploring and maturing with the young artists in the group. I hope everyone can see the growth of me and the creative team over the years, and I also hope that 'Light of the Earth' can bring the power of 'hope' to the audience no matter when and where."

Young dancers take on the beam and become the beam of light

Two hours before the performance, the main actress of the Shanghai Ballet, Qi Bingxue, was putting on makeup. Two small makeshift makeup tables were set up in the corridor, and the makeup artist took turns putting on the makeup for the several lead actors. In "The Light of the Earth", the abstract "light" has a concrete image. Qi Bingxue appeared in a hand painted Tutu skirt, becoming the embodiment of "light". For her, playing the role of "light" is a brand new challenge. "Light is very abstract. It can be moonlight or sunlight, weak or bright. It represents a kind of healing, an upward force, and a hope."

Temporary Makeup Room Photography on the Corridor: Wu Tong

Xu Jingkun, a member of the Shanghai Ballet born in the 2000s, played the role of a "light chaser" in "The Light of the Earth". After four years in the troupe, he grew rapidly and completed the "three-level dance" from group dance to leading dance and then to solo dance. Although Xu Jingkun has previously played the lead role, most of them are B-group actors who can complete their roles through imitation and learning. This time, there is no reference object, we need to establish a role on stage from scratch. Unlike the typical male protagonist in ballet, Xu Jingkun has a youthful aura, and Wu Husheng's choreography effectively portrays his personality, creating a weak and strong "light chaser" image. Zhang Wenjun, who plays the role of "Night Watchman," is a veteran of the Shanghai Ballet and has portrayed many impressive characters. In "The Light of the Earth", the night watchman is ultimately moved by the "light chasers" through a series of "struggles" and integrates with the light.

Xin Lili told reporters that 70% of the actors in this performance of "The Light of the Earth" are newcomers who have recently joined the troupe. The troupe "uses the old to lead the new" to make the talent pool healthier. Originally, there were not so many group dance designs in "The Light of the Earth", but Wu Husheng increased the number of group dancers and dance segments, giving young people more opportunities to stage. "The book 'The Light of the Earth' is both a breakthrough and an inheritance, and it is also a brave exploration of the future path of Shanghai style ballet art by the people of Shangba. 'The Light of the Earth' showcases our efforts and determination to innovate independently and climb the artistic peak."