Artists from Béjart Ballet Lausanne perform in a show. Hangzhou audience will be able to enjoy their performances in late October.

By Han Jing

The autumn season not only brings cooler weather, changing leaves and the smell of fall flowers but also a new season of shows at the Hangzhou Grand Theatre, with many internationally renowned acts.

Hangzhou Grand Theatre was founded to attract world-class acts to the city, and the government hopes the theater will help boost art appreciation among its residents.

The opening performance will be a series of contemporary ballet performances, starting with the The Béjart Ballet Lausanne that will perform from Oct 18 to 20.

Béjart Ballet Lausanne was founded by Maurice Béjart and is one of the most famous and successful dance companies in the world.

Béjart was a French and Swiss choreographer. He was the son of the French philosopher Gaston Berger. In 1977, he moved to Lausanne in Switzerland, where he founded the Béjart Ballet Lausanne.

It is the third time for the company to visit China. The first time, the ballet was led by Béjart. This time, the company will be without its founder, but will still present an interesting, dynamic show for Chinese audience.

Performances will include The Temptation of Life, The Sequel Dionysus and Bolero.

The Temptation of Life is a commissioned work from Shanghai International Arts Festival. The show is full of the interpretations of life, interpreting its temptations and charms.

The ballet will also perform one of the dances they’re most famous for, Bolero. The idea of the arts comes from a small bistro in Spain, a bohemian girl standing on a table and the impulses a group of mens’ desire.

The final performance, The Sequel Dionysus, comes from Greek mythology. The play reflects the mythological character Bacchus. Gianni Versace cooperated with the play, which helped its success.

Béjart was not overly involved in the fashion world but was satisfied by Versace’s costume designs, and it only took eight days to finish the designs for the play.

This show was first performed in China.