Dancers put new twist on a classic

"I have worked with Ye for nearly 30 years and I know his music very well. With the music he composed for this new ballet production, the composer stays loyal to the novel and accurately portrays the characters," says Zhang. "His music is very colorful, and fits every different scene, such as those depicting the daily life of the Jia family and the psychological changes of the main characters."

Stage set designer Liu Xinglin uses a revolving stage to showcase the ballet production's two themes: realism and romance. When red and gold are put onstage, audiences are ushered into the Jia family's upper-class lives. When the color white appears, it reveals the psychological depth of the characters.

Costume designer Yang Donglin read the novel while traveling after he was invited to join in the ballet production. He was excited and soon got inspired by traditional Chinese ink painting.

"The ballet dancers move gracefully, so I made the costumes light and flowing," says Yang, adding that colors of the costumes symbolize the personalities of the characters. For example, the young Jia wears pure white clothes and Lin wears a light green dress.