Stage photo from Sailing the Silk Road. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

2018 marks the 50 anniversary of the founding of Caracalla Dance Theatre. Over the past several decades, the theater has created more than 14 ballets and musicals, including adaptations of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado about Nothing.

So far, the dancing troupe has performed in some of the most prestigious theatres and cultural cities across the world, from the Carnegie Hall in New York, Sadler's Wells in London to the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris.

The theater has captured global press recognition through its original dance form, revealing a culturally rich East blended with Western dance technique.

The UK-based magazine Dance Europe has given it a thumbs–up, commenting “We in the West love to  think we are culturally far more sophisticated than the East, but for pure splendor ingrained with soul, Caracalla is an unprecedented joy.”

Looking to the future, the managing director told China Daily the troupe’s duty is not only to maintain the historic and ancestral name of Caracalla, but more importantly, to push the Caracalla Dance Theatre into new artistic, innovative and creative frontiers.

Contact the writer at zhangxingjian@chinadaily.com.cn