First high-tech performance on stage by Show Life
A Peking Opera artist performs the classic movements of the Monkey King.
Downtown theaters and art troupes staged a high-tech performance on Saturday on Nanjing Road to promote new online and offline watching experiences in the post-pandemic era.
The more than 40 theaters and performance spaces in Huangpu District, known as the Show Life performance zone, presented operas, musicals, street dances, orchestras, magic show and acrobatics at the New World City department store over the weekend with 5G and ultra-high-definition livestreaming.
During the performances, 50 high-definition cameras known as Media Cube from the tech giant Huawei, captured the splendid moments of the artists with panoramic views and livestreamed on a large screen.
The event, part of the city's ongoing Double Five Shopping Festival, aims to let shoppers and tourists at the popular store experience cloud performances, the organizers said. The moments that can hardly be captured by eyes can be frozen and watched repeatedly from all angles.
A Peking Opera performer staged the classic figure of Monkey King at the New World City on Saturday to open the two-day high-tech performances.
The Media Cube captured the most classic movements of the Monkey King during the performance, which attracted a large number of shoppers.
Audiences are also invited to show their art talent on stage and be captured by the panoramic cameras.
Other tech companies including China Mobile Shanghai and Migu also showcased their new technologies such as 5G, ultra-high-definition, virtual reality, augmented reality and three dimensional, which can be applied to enrich the experiences of art performances.
Theaters and cultural venues within the Show Life have been presenting performances on Nanjing Road to entertain the large number of tourists attracted by the city's annual shopping frenzy.
The zone includes the most popular downtown performing arts venues, such as the Shanghai Grand Theater, Great Theatre of China, Shanghai People Theater and Shanghai Culture Square.
After the coronavirus outbreak, the theaters and art troupes have been presenting shows online or going out of the theaters to attract audiences.
The downtown theater district was named Show Life in 2019, with invitations to performers and producers from around the world. The area near People's Square in Huangpu plans to host 15,000 performances every year – part of the city government's ambition to make Shanghai the "performance capital of Asia."
Local students stage street dances at the New World City on Saturday.
