Poet Dongpo to premiere at Shanghai Culture Square

Poet Dongpo, a modern dance theater production by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, will premiere at Shanghai Culture Square on July 22.

Inspired by the poems of Su Dongpo (1037-1101), the production features a combination of modern dance and Chinese painting, calligraphy, seal art, Guqin, martial arts and other Chinese cultural elements.

The show was created by Shen Wei, an international-award winning choreographer. Upon receiving the assignment last year from the Meishan City administration of Sichuan province, the hometown of Su, Shen said that he decided to choose 15 of Su's poems and present them through dance. Shen also personally worked on the design of the stage setting and costumes.

The spirit, aesthetics and philosophy of Su's poems are very relevant to modern society today and would resonate with audiences, he added.

All music used in the production, except for five ancient Chinese Guqin pieces, was created by contemporary Chinese composer Chen Qigang.

Shen is widely known in China as the lead choreographer for the Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony in 2008. He has also created dance routines for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the Rome Opera, the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, as well as choreographed, directed and designed the new production Carmina Burana for the chorus, orchestra and ballet of Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Italy.