Horses dance to sound of the 'Cavalry'

The “Cavalry” will arrive tomorrow at the SAIC Shanghai Culture Square as part of the Art Space series, a core feature of the annual China Shanghai International Arts Festival.

Produced by the Inner Mongolia Bureau of National Art Troupes, the dance drama is set in 1945 when the Japanese government announced its unconditional surrender. News of victory over Japanese invaders spread throughout the grassland. However, happiness was soon be replaced by panic.

The Japanese army spread plague pathogens before they surrendered and many local people suffered from the disease.

One of them was a woman named Shandan. At a critical moment, the Chinese military medical team came to help the local people and fortunately, Shandan was cured.

Moved by the military doctors’ selflessness, Shandan’s lover, named Chaolu, decided to join the Chinese People’s Liberation Army along with his beloved horse Gala.

Both Shandan and Chaolu devoted themselves to the revolutionary struggle and several fierce battles in the aftermath.

“For the people of the Mongolian ethnic group, horses were their best friends,” said He Yanmin, director of the dance drama.

“The image of a horse in the drama is designed according to the aesthetics of the local people.”

The director revealed her father was a cavalryman and the bravery of the cavalrymen had flowed in her blood since childhood. The drama intends to show the steely fighting will of the cavalrymen, the courageousness of the Mongolian people and the loyalty of their horses.

“The Mongols are known for being brave and skillful in battle,” said He. “In fact, the Mongols absolutely don’t want war.”

Featuring six chapters, the dance drama is curried with a regional flavor. The music is played on many traditional Mongolian musical instruments, such as morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), sihu, which is a bowed string instrument with four strings, and a tsuur, which is an end-blown flute.

Performance info

Date: November 5, 7:30pm

Ticket: 80-180 yuan

Venue: SAIC Shanghai Culture Square

Address: 597 Fuxing Rd M.