Dancers 'sculpt' ancient tomb figures on stage

Choreographer Tian Tian’s latest creation “Yong III,” inspired by ancient sculptures and paintings, delighted audiences at its premiere last week at the Shanghai International Dance Center.

Tickets for the two performances were sold out over a week in advance, no doubt because Tian is no stranger to audiences who enjoyed her previous works “Cuncun Wuwo” and “Yong II” at the center last year.

“Yong III” is part of Tian’s “Yong Series,” which is inspired by sculptures of dancing figures unearthed from tombs and by paintings created during the Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang (AD 618-907) dynasties.

“I braced myself to create ‘Yong III,’ the third production of the series,” Tian told Shanghai Daily. “It took courage, as you can imagine. When a TV series comes to the third episode, the creators need to think of something new and attractive to keep the attention of audiences.”

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“Yong III” certainly accomplishes that. In recreating the movements of the ancient dancers, Tian gives “Yong III” a modern element. Shades of cyberpunk are incorporated into both music and stage effects.

“Yong III” comprises eight dances: “Adorning Hair With Flowers,” “Tang Palace Concert,” “The Beauty,” “Delight in Dancing,” “Beyond the Great Wall,” “Walk and Sing,” “The Aristocrat in Shenyi” and “The Tage.”

Each dance is inspired by a particular certain image in ancient paintings and sculptures. The number of performers in each dance ranges from two to 16.

With the help of light designs, Tian said she wanted to create the illusion that the ancient dancers exhibited in modern museums have come to life.

Unlike the two previous “Yong” creations, which balanced reviving the dance figures in a contemporary way while maintaining the feel of antiquity, “Yong III” seeks a connection to the future, which is showcased in costume, light and music. The production features fluorescent dress, flowers made of PVC material, neon light frames and the fusion of futuristic sounds with traditional folk music.

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“To create a futuristic aura while maintaining the taste and smoothness of Han-Tang classical dance was my goal in working on ‘Yong III,’” said Tian.

She said the connection between antiquity and the future already exists in ancient artworks, if one searches for it.

“When I was looking at relics unearthed from the Changsha Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb, I noticed in a painting how the trim on clothing had a touch of fluorescent orange,” she said. “It might be caused by the staleness of the paint, but both the shape and color of their dress looked modern. So I used that in ‘The Aristocrat in Shenyi.’”

She added: “Another example is Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) painter Liang Kai’s portrait of Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. The poet’s shape was created with one simple stroke, which fits a modern esthetic taste well. I took it as reference when designing costumes for ‘Walk and Sing.’”

The performances attracted a number of foreigners, including Ismail Darbar from India.

“The dances were graceful, colorful and very refreshing,” said Darbar. “Usually, I prefer dances with a storyline, like in ballets, but this was unique and different because it was very revealing. To see that Asia is so rich in so many dance forms, and to see the colorful costumes was simply stunning.”

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Luc Kwanten from Belgium, who also attended a performance, praised the work.

“The dances are like pretty, small artworks,” he said. “The music went well with movements. There were no false steps. I just enjoyed everything.”

Despite such positive feedback from audiences, Tian said she will continue to try to make improvements to “Yong III,” especially in the music, before taking her creation on the road to other cities.

“Each dance in ‘Yong III’ has its own characteristics,” she said. “But I want to enhance the integrity of the whole production. I think that can be realized with the help of music — like a short segment of repeated melody that appears in each dance but is played by different instruments.”