National Ballet dances for joy in season opener

Symphony No 9 in D Minor, Op 125, one of the most remarkable orchestral works by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, will be performed by the symphony orchestra of the National Ballet of China under the baton of Zhang Yi in the company's latest production, Ode to Joy.

Named after the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which includes a full chorus and vocal soloists singing an arrangement of Friedrich Schiller's poem, An die Freude, also known as Ode to Joy, the new ballet production premieres at Beijing's Tianqiao Theatre on Friday and will be staged until Sunday.

"This was Beethoven's final complete symphony and is one of the most popular pieces of classical music among Chinese audiences. I was trained classically as a child and I grew up listening to it," says Zhang, who is the musical director of the symphony orchestra of the National Ballet of China. He adds that the new production will feature not only musicians from the company's symphony orchestra, but also the chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra and vocalists, including coloratura soprano Guo Chengcheng and baritone Liu Songhu.

The China National Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1956 and formerly known as the Central Philharmonic Society, performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 1959.

"Over 200 musicians will perform together in the ballet production, making it one of the biggest by the National Ballet of China," Zhang says.

According to Feng Ying, president of the National Ballet of China, in 2021, the company premiered Inspiration and Glory, to mark the centenary of the Communist Party of China. The production was based on four Chinese folk tales and set to music composed by Guan Xia, who is the former president of the China National Symphony Orchestra. Guan modified four of his early compositions for that production, which was accompanied by the symphony orchestra of the National Ballet of China under Zhang's baton.

"With Ode to Joy, we want to interpret a work of Western classical music with a cast of Chinese artists. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is considered to be one of the greatest works in Western classical music. What makes it so special is Beethoven's use of the human voice. Ode to Joy was a celebratory poem addressing the unity of humankind, which is what we want to express with this new production," says Feng.

A highlight of the new production is the company's younger generation of artists, from choreographer Li Yang, to leading dancers, such as Qiu Yunting, who is one of the principal ballet dancers of the company.

"It's a great challenge for them, because the symphonic piece is so well-known and celebrated worldwide," Feng adds.

"From the very beginning, after the company decided to create a ballet based on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, I had lots of discussions with conductor Zhang Yi. Music is crucial to the choreography," says Li, 34. "I also did lots of research into the symphony's background. We tried to find the best way to combine dance moves and the music.

"All the ballet techniques should give way to the emotions produced by the music, which is so powerful and universally shared. The ballet production is about hope, unity and universal brotherhood," he adds.

The choreographer also mentions that during the process of creating the ballet, he felt the power of the music. With a family member diagnosed with cancer and his wife becoming pregnant this year, he says that his emotions were very complicated when he worked on it.

"This massive production made me feel better about life," he says.

Ode to Joy will be the opening performance of the 6th China International Ballet Season, which runs from Friday to Jan 5. Over the course of two months, 25 performances will be staged, featuring international ballet companies, such as Eugene Onegin and Anna Karenina, both presented by the Eifman Ballet of St Petersburg, and Carmen by Spanish dancing troupe, Aida Gomez.