Dance shows poetry in motion

Elegance and beauty of calligraphy take audience on journey into ancient China, Chen Nan reports.

The timeless elegance of Chinese calligraphy has been captured in Yonghe Jiunian (Dance of Calligraphy in AD 353), produced by the Shanghai Opera House, which premiered in November 2023 in Shanghai and is now touring nationwide.

It made its debut at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing with three shows from May 10 to 12. During the second half of this year, it will be staged in more cities, including Yantai, Shandong province; Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region; Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region; and Kunming, Yunnan province, before returning to Shanghai in August.

It is inspired by Lantingji Xu (Preface to the Collection of Poems of the Orchid Pavilion), a piece of prose by 4th-century calligrapher Wang Xizhi, which was written in AD 353. The dance drama, directed and choreographed by Wang Yabin, offers a captivating glimpse into the ancient origins and enduring legacy of the revered Lantingji Xu through a contemporary lens.

"I worked on this dance drama for a long time, trying to find a good way to tell the story about the allure of Chinese calligraphy through the beauty of dance. I love calligraphy; I also learned to write in the ancient art of Chinese handwriting," says director Wang Yabin, who is also a dancer-choreographer. "For me, dancing is also a kind of calligraphy. I write in calligraphy with my brush and I dance with my body. Both of them allow for fluid, controlled movement."