An empty chair beckons

At the revival's premiere in Beijing, National Ballet of China principal dancer Fang Mengying portrayed Du, with principal artist Ma Xiaodong as Liu. Through ballet's expressive language, they vividly brought to life Tang's timeless vision of a love capable of crossing the boundaries between dream and reality, life and death.

Yet, the ballet's most distinctive innovation lies in the heroine herself.

Instead of presenting a single Du, director Li divides her into three figures. One belongs to the everyday world, another appears as the "flower goddess" who embodies dreams and desire, while the third — performed by a Kunqu Opera artist — represents Tang's original heroine and the classical theatrical tradition.

Together, the three versions reveal not different women, but different dimensions of the same person.

"The 'flower goddess' is direct and passionate. The Kunqu Opera version of Du is restrained and calm. Between them is Du herself, searching and discovering," says choreographer Fei Bo. "Our production is not simply retelling the original story; it leads audiences into Du's inner world."

Returning to the ballet nearly two decades later also transformed Fei's own understanding of its heroine. "I can now look at her from a more complete perspective, understand her better, and truly feel the emotions she searches for in her dream," he says. "This time, I wanted to gradually explore the deepest place of her heart — where her purest and most genuine emotions lead."

Fei believes Du's journey is ultimately about far more than romance.

"Du is brave and sincere," he says. "She is not only pursuing love, but also trying to complete herself as a woman within the constraints of the world."

The revival also introduces a new generation of dancers, including 18-year-old ballerina Yan Mengxuan as Du.

Director Li says, "Youth itself carries tremendous vitality. These young artists are full of passion and eager to create their own Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei."

Behind that fresh interpretation are months of collaboration between ballet dancers and Kunqu Opera performers. During rehearsals, the dancers studied the subtle gestures, posture and breathing of traditional opera, learning that stillness could be as expressive as movement.

"We wanted the dancers to possess both the physical strength of Western ballet and the Eastern sense of atmosphere and rhythm," Fei says. "Even in the pas de deux, we were not only pursuing technical coordination, but also searching for two people whose breaths and emotions could resonate with each other."

For Shao Tianshuai, who performed the Kunqu version of Du in the ballet's original production 18 years ago, the revival demonstrates how two artistic traditions can enrich one another.

"This production perfectly embodies the idea of preserving tradition while pursuing innovation," she says. "Ballet and Kunqu each maintain their own artistic roots, yet together, they elevate one another."

In the end, however, everything returns to the image that opens the ballet: the empty chair.

"For me, the empty chair on stage is the most moving image," Fei says. "The entire ballet is actually one great dream, and the empty chair perfectly expresses the Eastern aesthetic idea of the coexistence of reality and illusion."

At the beginning, Du falls asleep in the chair. At the end, only the chair remains.

"Whoever sits in that chair becomes Du Liniang," Fei says. "I want to leave that imagination to the audience, to the stage, and to the work itself."