Dancer's dream and fantasy told in a rhapsody
Dancer Zhu Fengwei has taken more than 300 flights over the past five years travelling between cities for performances.
Now all the secrets in the 25-square-meter hotel rooms he usually stays in have been converted into an original dance, "25㎡ Rhapsody," which is premiering at Shanghai International Dance Center this weekend.
The dreams include fantasies, nightmares, as well as memories from childhood. Loneliness became a strong feature in the earlier chapters of the production.
Zhu Fengwei performs in "25㎡ Rhapsody."
"When feeling physically and mentally exhausted during a tour, I really want to have my own 'home'," Zhu said. "It doesn't have to be a physical space, but a place where the heart belongs to. It's a place where people are calm, settled and comfortable."
In the latter part of the dance, the hotel room becomes a vast grassland where people set free their mind and emotion.
"Crazy and interesting" is how Zhu describes the dance, and therefore named it a rhapsody.
"25㎡ Rhapsody" is Zhu's second choreography following "Once."
Both works originate from his personal experience, including life status in his hometown county.
Zhu is making them into a "Country Trilogy" series, and the third dance of the series is being worked on.
The dance is the second piece of Zhu's "Country Trilogy" series.
Screenwriter Zhou Ke found a new storytelling angle for the dance. Famed dancer Yang Liping is the art director of the production. Together with stage designer Li Mingjue, they helped Zhu realize his fancy rhapsody.
"25㎡ Rhapsody" is a program from the dance center's inaugural Dance Out of the Box Festival. Another dance program "Legend of Hao Hao" is also being performed this weekend.
The show involves film, stand-up comedy and martial arts. Dancer Yang Hao calls his innovative performance "a dance-up comedy."
With a name inspired by the phrase "think out of the box," the monthlong dance festival aims to encourage innovation and integration in contemporary dance creation.
The stage becomes a grassland in the latter part of "25㎡ Rhapsody."
Performance info
• 25㎡ Rhapsody
Dates: September 17, 7:30pm
Tickets: 80-580 yuan
• Legend of Hao Hao
Dates: September 17, 7:30pm; September 18, 2pm
Tickets: 80-280 yuan
Venue: Shanghai International Dance Center
Address: 1650 Hongqiao Rd
