The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in a statement yesterday that the ballet titled “Yimeng” (沂蒙) by the National Ballet of China (NBC) will be staged at the Venetian Theatre of The Venetian Macao resort in Cotai from February 18-19 at 8pm.
According to Wikipedia, NBC is also known as the “Central Ballet Troupe” and was founded in 1959.
The statement noted that Yimeng is a Chinese story in an “elegant and eloquent presentation of western ballet”, adding that during the war, many women in the Yimeng mountain area gave up their lives for the great cause, doing tasks such as supporting the army and its battles, making military uniforms and shoes, and rescuing the wounded. They also spared no effort to raise children separated from their revolutionary parents.
The women were known as the “Yimeng Sisters”, who are portrayed through four roles: Sister Ying, a platoon leader, Erni and “Little Suona”. The statement added that the dance drama tells the true stories about Sister Ying saving wounded soldiers with her milk, Enri’s dedication to consistently supporting the army, and the Yimeng Sisters holding up a battleground bridge in an “icy cold river” despite the dangers it posed to their lives.
The statement said that the Yimeng Spirit of “harmony and shared destiny between the army and the people” will be presented to the audience through techniques “immersed in great artistic traditions”.
The ballet classic “Yimeng Canticles”, the statement underlined, was created by NBC over 40 years ago, forming the basis of subsequent NBC productions “Yimeng Love” and “Three Episodes in Yimeng”. Their artistic achievements are now embodied in the new show.
Canticles are chants or hymns.
The statement added that famous choreographer Jiang Zuhui, aged 86, is the play’s artistic consultant, while its art consultant is the “top Chinese ballet costume designer”, 92-year-old Li Keyu. The play is directed by NBC assistant art director and master ballet dancer, Xu Gang, with the help of a team of young choreographers and artistic designers.
Tickets will be on sale from 10 a.m. today through the Macau Ticketing Network and from 12 p.m. through Cotai Ticketing. They are priced at 400 patacas and 300 patacas.
For more details and online ticketing, visit www.macauticket.com and https://www.cotaiticketing.com/. One can also call the Macau Ticketing Network’s 24-hour ticketing hotline at 2855 5555 and the Cotai Ticketing hotline on 2882 8818.
This undated handout photo provided by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) shows members of the National Ballet of China (NBC) on stage.
