Shanghai Ballet's original created ballet “Bright Red Star”

Shanghai Ballet's original created ballet “Bright Red Star”

From October 24 to 28, 2018, the Shanghai Ballet presented the world premiere of the original ballet “Bright Red Star” at the 20th China Shanghai International Arts Festival. In the 40 years of reform and opening up, the work will continue the revolutionary spirit. It is the inheritance and represents the innovation of the art of  Shanghai Ballet. It is also another masterpiece based on the Chinese story.

The original ballet “Bright Red Star” is written and directed by Ming Zhao. It uses surrealism and starts from the perspective of the adult Red Army fighter Dongzi Pan. It interweaves all kinds of memories on marching on the road with memories of childhood. The constant alternation of reality creates the image of a flesh-and-blood Red Army soldier Dongzi Pan and impresses the audience with the most real emotions.

“Bright Red Star” has a strong lineup. The Shanghai Opera Youth Commander Chengjie Zhang performed the Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra for live accompaniment. Professor of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, soprano Xuejin Yang, and Shanghai Opera Tenor Liming Chi served as the conductors. Nearly 90 actors are from the Shanghai Ballet. Shanghai Ballet’s main star, Husheng Wu, starred in Dongzi Pan. Another of Shanghai Ballet’s stars, Xiaofeng Fan, starred in the mother. Shanghai Ballet’s main actor, Wenjun Zhang, starred in his father. Bingxue Qi starred in the 'Red Five Stars'. Bin Wu starred as Hansan Hu, and the young actor Qingchen Yan starred as the young Dongzi Pan.

The play has preserved three special songs of the film “Bright Red Star” composed by Mr. Gengchen Fu, namely “Azalea”, “Red Stars Take Me to Fight,” and “Red Star Song”. Ming Du, who is the composer of the play, has created a new creation, which not only takes into account the artistic expression of the ballet but also maintains the positive emotional power in the music, allowing the music to flow naturally along with the plot, evoking the emotional ups and downs of the audience. At the same time, the design of dance beauty, costumes, and lighting are based on the geographical elements of Jiangxi and the poetic and romantic expression of ballet art. The unique vocabulary of Chinese ballet is a hot revolution.

Gengchen Fu, the music creator of the movie “Bright Red Star”, sat in the audience seat. “The red star shines brightly, the red star is warm and warm. When the familiar melody is remembered, I feel hotter and hotter.” The first half is nearing the end, the red five stars on the stage are connected, and the red flag flutters, accompanied by “Internationale” together. Gengchen Fu said, “At this moment, the revolutionary romanticism of the Chinese nation and the heroism of the world, a red story of China has the potential to win on the international stage.”

In order to make the performance a success, nearly 90 actors from the Shanghai Ballet have been giving up their breaks for a few months, overcoming the pain, fatigue, and even disease. With amazing perseverance and love for ballet art, they fought in the rehearsal room and constantly challenged their limits to seek perfection. During an interval of intense rehearsal, all the actors not only learned the military posture with the soldiers of “Good Eight in Nanjing Road,” but also refined the spirits of the soldiers in their sweat; they went to Jiangxi to experience a soldier’s life, firm their ideals and beliefs to create a dance drama.

Lili Xin, head of the Shanghai Ballet, said: “All actors are very dedicated and conscientious in the rehearsal process. They not only do their best to meet the requirements of the director but also continually ponder their roles in order to strive for excellence. This dance drama is the inheritance of the revolutionary spirit, and it is the red feeling.”

With the joint efforts of all the cast members, since the premiere on October 24th, the original ballet “Bright Red Star” has been highly praised by all walks of society.

Over half a year, involving more than 40 large-scale tours in nearly 20 cities across the country, the ballet art workers of the Shangba New era presented their 70th birthday with the works of love and blood, and blazing beliefs. The screen classic continues to live on the ballet stage, still the same yet different.