'Red Detachment' returns in triumph for 60th anniversary

As the first ballet produced by the National Ballet of China, The Red Detachment of Women celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

From Sept 16 to 26, the ballet company will present 10 commemorative performances at the Tianqiao Theater in Beijing, where the play first premiered.

The performances will feature a star-studded lineup, including Qiu Yunting, Ma Xiaodong, and Xu Yan. Students from the ballet school of the National Ballet of China will also participate for the first time.

Music director Zhang Yi, resident conductor Liu Ju, and guest conductor Fan Ni will conduct the ballet company's symphony orchestra.

The Red Detachment of Women premiered at the Tianqiao Theater on Sept 26, 1964. Sixty years on, it has become a piece of history, a cultural symbol, and a legacy. It is known in the United States as the ballet performed for former US president Richard Nixon during his visit to China in 1972.

Based on the film of the same name, it tells the story of a rural woman, Wu Qionghua, who escapes a life of slavery and joins an all-female Communist Party army battalion led by commander Hong Changqing on Hainan Island during the civil war in the early 1930s.

The production has been invited to perform in more than 20 countries and regions, including the United States, Russia, France, Italy, and Germany, earning Chinese ballet praise and a reputation on the international stage.

This year, the company is staging 60 shows to mark the 60th anniversary. So far, 50 shows have been held in 19 cities, generating widespread enthusiasm and acclaim from audiences of all ages.