Graceful dancers perform a scene from the children’s ballet, The Nine-Colored Deer. [Photo/Official website of the National Ballet of China]

Children’s ballet The Nine-Colored Deer

The Nine-Colored Deer, produced by the National Ballet of China in 2018, is its first performance aimed at children, and is performed by amateur dancers who are children.

Adapted from a well-known painting in the murals of Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu province, the ballet tells the story of a spiritual nine-colored deer, who saves a Persian merchant from drowning in a river. In exchange, the merchant promises not to tell anyone about the deer. However, he breaks his promise and leads the king’s army to hunt down the deer because the king’s concubine wants a coat made of the deer’s skin. When the merchant falls into the river again, he drowns.

Click here to stream the play.