The Little Match Girl offers a colorful surprise
A warm-hearted adventure story has been pencilled in at Shanghai International Dance Center in early August.
The Open Heart Production from the United Kingdom will present a children’s dance theater version of “The Little Match Girl” on August 5-6.
The tragic story has been revamped by Portuguese choreographer Arthur Pita to give it a much warmer and lighter feel. The Little Match Girl had happy moments while gaming with a lamplighter and learned to resist being bullied.
Even though the little girl still loses her life at the end, there is hope because her long-dead grandma takes her to the moon to begin a new adventure where she would light to the stars and universe with her matches.
Multiple beautiful stage settings and mechanic properties all help to paint a beautiful story with warm colors, including a huge moon and bright candle lights.
“It is always a great challenge to tell a classic story in different ways,” said Pita.
The story, which records a view of earth from space, moved Pita to alter the classic ending for The Little Match Girl.
“The soul or the spirit of people must go somewhere after they pass away, even though we have no idea where it is,” said Pita. “Having the little girl go to the moon rather than to heaven may help children from different religions and backgrounds to imagine a beautiful home for the little girl after her death.”
Date: August 5-6, 10:30am, 2:30pm
Tickets: 80-580 yuan
Tel: 5299-0372
Venue: Shanghai International Dance Center
Address: 1650 Hongqiao Rd
