Tan Yuanyuan Visits the Overseas Chinese Community Reception Hall: Looking forward to bringing Chinese dance to the world in Shanghai | Chinese | China

Why did a renowned Chinese ballet dancer choose to return to Shanghai for a "second entrepreneurship"? What is the story behind her journey from Shanghai to San Francisco and her appearance on the cover of Time magazine? On the afternoon of June 27th, Tan Yuanyuan arrived at the "Overseas Chinese Home" on the 20th floor of Baiyulan Square to participate in the third overseas Chinese reception hall event jointly organized by the Municipal Overseas Chinese Federation and the Liberation Daily, sharing the life choices of Chinese artists.

Being a ballet performer requires a bit of persistence

Tan Yuanyuan first appeared in the Liberation Daily in July 1991, when an article reported that "two 16-year-old students from Shanghai Dance School, Tan Yuanyuan and Zhao Lei, won second and third place in the women's youth group with excellent results in the recently concluded Helsinki International Ballet Competition in Finland."

"I entered Shanghai Dance School in 1987, and about one or two thousand children registered. A total of 24 people were admitted," Tan Yuanyuan told the audience. His parents had a heated argument over whether to let his daughter learn ballet. "My mother hoped that I could fulfill her unfulfilled dance dream, but my father felt that the artistic life of a dancer was too short and hoped that I would become an engineer." In the end, my parents decided on the future of their 10-year-old daughter by flipping a five cent coin to see both sides.

There is a saying that once students from the Affiliated Middle School of the Conservatory of Music find it difficult to learn musical instruments, their teachers will take them to the dance school practice room for a walk. Tan Yuanyuan did not deny this claim: "At that time, the conditions were very poor, the practice room did not have air conditioning, the floor did not have floor glue, and often a pair of dance shoes were broken after jumping for two or three days. The feet were worn out and wrapped in bandages to continue dancing."

With this perseverance, 17-year-old Tan Yuanyuan jumped from Shanghai to Stuttgart, Germany, becoming the only African German student to receive a two-year scholarship, and then jumped to the San Francisco Ballet in the United States. In 1997, she was the only chief dancer from China in the dance troupe and persisted for 28 years thereafter.

"In the United States, the treatment of artists and actors is not particularly high. Dancers have little pursuit of material things, but they are very rich in spirit. Their longing for dance and love for art are the most precious things for actors. It can be heard that Tan Yuanyuan is full of excitement about the San Francisco Ballet." It has given me many opportunities to collaborate with different art directors, choreographers, and dancers from the world's top dance troupes. Every year, he chooses me as the main character to perform all the works he can perform. "

35 years old is a hurdle for ballet dancers. "Always blooming on stage is just a beautiful dream." Tan Yuanyuan has already overcome this hurdle. "I don't know how long I can hold on, but I always hope to leave some works and bring something to young dancers."

"To become a ballet dancer, one needs a bit of persistence. For so many years, I have been doing one thing on my own. People are lazy, and sometimes their bodies are exhausted, requiring strong willpower to support them." Tan Yuanyuan's childhood idol, the famous Soviet ballet dancer Ulanova, retired at the age of 60.

To drink water and think of the source, to serve the hometown

Tan Yuanyuan's work and life focus has gradually shifted towards Shanghai in recent years.

In July 2021, the dance music theater "Tan Yuanyuan and Her Friends - Art Museum Fantasy Night" premiered in Shanghai. In addition to leading the dance, Tan Yuanyuan also served as the performing arts director and co choreographer for the first time. On November 4th, one year later, the dance drama "White Snake" appeared at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, with Tan Yuanyuan serving as the artistic director. A team consisting of overseas Chinese dancers and young domestic dancers took turns performing ancient legends on stage.

Now, Tan Yuanyuan has a new identity - Director of the Dance Collaborative Innovation Center at Shanghai Theatre Academy. "Returning to his alma mater is hoping to exert his international influence, make good use of his accumulated experience, and contribute to the construction of Shanghai's dance discipline." Tan Yuanyuan regards it as his responsibility, "Thinking of the source while drinking water, it is time to serve our motherland and hometown.".

Despite being in the United States for a long time, Tan Yuanyuan never forgot his hometown. In 2009, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the San Francisco Ballet began its first visit to China with her enthusiastic efforts. Two months before leaving, Tan Yuanyuan was accidentally injured, but in order to show her hometown elders the most beautiful side, she put on a closed stage performance.

At the reception hall of the overseas Chinese community, someone asked her, "How can we tell the story of Chinese culture well overseas in the future?" Tan Yuanyuan used the dance drama "White Snake" as an example, "We are trying to integrate Chinese dance drama with art, technology, and new stage styles, and explore new ways of expression.". She introduced that the 2.0 version of "White Snake" is currently under close preparation, hoping to allow the audience to see the further integration of ballet and Chinese dance. In the future, not only will it start a Chinese tour, but it is also expected to bring it to the world and tell the story of China well to the world.

"Warmly welcome Tan Yuanyuan back to her hometown for development, and sincerely wish her new achievements in ballet art creation, talent cultivation, and promoting cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries." Qi Quansheng, Secretary and Chairman of the Party Group of the Municipal Federation of Overseas Chinese, stated that all levels of overseas Chinese organizations in Shanghai will continue to take the initiative to support outstanding talents from the overseas Chinese community to make greater contributions and gain more in this hot land of Shanghai.