In dance and poetry, drama illuminates treasure of Chinese art

The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, a poetic dance demonstration of the beauty of traditional Chinese art by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, was performed at the San Diego Civic Theatre on New Year's Eve.

More than 2,000 people attended the production on Tuesday night, which has been greeted with widespread acclaim since its release in 2021.

The performance received a standing ovation, with actors taking 10 curtain calls to thunderous applause.

"It's a feast for the eyes and the soul," says one of the attendees, who declines to be named.

"Even without dialogue, the dancers perfectly conveyed the essence of Chinese landscape painting through body language, giving us a unique glimpse into Chinese art."

Poetic dance is a form of contemporary Chinese performance that combines dance and poetry to tell a story, while exploring the relationship between the two art forms.

The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting is about Wang Ximeng, a young Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) painter, whose A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important paintings in the history of Chinese art. His story is told through the perspective of a contemporary researcher.

The 11-meter scroll painting, which is now part of the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, is a record of the life and landscapes of the time, and mixes realism with imagination.

In a fusion of virtual and physical spaces, the painting unfolds onstage, linking the thousand-year-old master painter with contemporary artists, as well as the arts of painting and dance.

"This production transcends language barriers," says Zhou Liya, co-chief director of the production.

"Foreign spectators can appreciate its essence through the language of movement. Art is the universal language that connects across borders."

Zhou and fellow chief director Han Zhen shared their thoughts on the creative concepts and performance techniques behind the production with artists at a dance school in San Diego on Monday, demonstrating the integration of traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern stagecraft.

Since its premiere in 2021, the production has been performed 650 times, mostly in China, but also in Singapore and Russia. The New Year's Eve performance was its first in the United States, where it will tour later this year, and marked the grand finale of the show's 2024 international run.

In October, the show was turned into a movie, and the soundtrack has been performed in a series of concerts.