"Qingming Riverside," a dance production inspired by a well-known painting, will be staged on Jan. 11 and 12 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

The production will make its U.S. debut in the cities of Annapolis and Hagerstown on Jan. 7 and 8, respectively, before coming to the Kennedy Center.

An original production by the Hong Kong Dance Company, "Qingming Riverside" brings to life a prosperous era of Chinese history as illustrated in the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival."

The painting, created by imperial court painter Zhang Zeduan about 900 years ago, depicts the ancient city of Bianjing (now known as the city of Kaifeng) in central China's Henan Province.

The production has been staged more than 30 times domestically since debuting in 2007, with 40 dancers performing the work at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Leung Kwok-shing, the production's director and choreographer, said the work reproduces the personality and spirit of the painting through the language of dance.

"Its style pushes the boundaries of ethnic and classical dance, creating a new aesthetic that exemplifies the vernacular, traditional and classical," he said.

Presented by the China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA), the production's U.S. debut will be performed by members of the Hong Kong Dance Company and the Guangdong Song and Dance Ensemble.

The CPAA has brought award-winning Chinese dance productions "Silk Road" and "Peony Pavilion" to major U.S. venues since late 2011.