Ballet dancers in step

Chinese and US dancers will raise the curtain of this year's Meet in Beijing Arts Festival with the classic ballet on April 23.[Photo provided to China Daily]

This year's Meet in Beijing Arts Festival is all set to open with a historic interpretation of Swan Lake. Chen Nan reports.

National Ballet of China, American Ballet Theater and Boston Ballet are working in a collaboration for the first time to present Swan Lake, choreographed by legendary Russian prima ballerina Natalia Makarova.

At the opening performance for the 15th Meet in Beijing Arts Festival, the country's first major art festival, principal dancer Isabella Boylston from the American Ballet Theater and principal dancer Paulo Arrais from the Boston Ballet will share the stage with Chinese ballet dancers Ma Xiaodong and Wang Ye at the National Center for the Performing Arts on April 23 and 24.

"Swan Lake is regarded as one of the greatest works in the art of ballet. It was the first Western classical ballet performed in China. Makarova's version of Swan Lake is very special. Her production is closer to Tchaikovsky's music and his feeling of the story," says Feng Ying, a veteran ballerina and the president of National Ballet of China.

In 2007, National Ballet of China invited Makarova, who is 75 now, to Beijing to cooperate with Chinese dancers on a new take on Tchaikovsky's classic tale. Since then, Makarova's version of Swan Lake has become one of its most popular performances.

"China's ballet dancers have been influenced by Russian ballet for years. Makarova gave us a fresh perspective on ballet by freeing dancers from the stereotyped gestures and movements of the swan," Feng says.

Principal dancer Ma has been performing Makarova's Swan Lake since he joined the National Ballet of China in 2009. He will perform with Boylston on April 23.