Dancing for Sichuan

Although the nation's three days of National Mourning came to a close on Wednesday, a number of shows continue to raise funds for Sichuan's earthquake victims.

Tonight, the Nederlands Dans Theater II (NDT II) will perform at the PLA Theater in the Chinese capital, as previously scheduled.

But, following the quake, Wu Promotion, the marketing handler for NDT II's Beijing tour, has announced it will donate the show's box-office proceeds to quake relief efforts. The donation is estimated at 160,000 yuan ($22,987).

"Modern Dance is not that popular in China, and the revenue of the show is not a big sum of money. But, I do hope to do something for the people there," said Wu Jiatong, general manager of Wu Promotion.

The leading European modern dance company will perform three pieces: Jiri Kylian's Sleepless, Ohad Naharin's Minus 16 and Johan Inger's Dream Play.

Renowned Prague-born choreographer Kylidan's Sleepless is set against a synthetic backdrop with hidden spaces that converts the stage into a place of illusion, fantasy and unexpected connections. Minus 16 is an impressive work for dancers set to a thrilling musical compilation of cha-cha, mambo and traditional Israeli music. With Dream Play, Inger created an abstract yet narrative ballet to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

Established in 1959, the Nederlands Dans Theatre (NDT) focuses on exploring new forms of dance, technique and broadening their existence with fresh ideas and experimentations. Although all NDT's dancers are classically trained in ballet, NDT performers are strongest in modern dance at the international level.

After years of development and mastery, NDT has established two distinct ensembles that represent dancers of different generations.

NDT I consists only of experienced performers, whereas young and budding talents make up NDT II. Internationally, NDT II is famous for being one of the most revolutionary institutions of modern dance.

Chen Jie

If you are interested in purchasing tickets for the show, call 400-818-3333.

(China Daily 05/23/2008 page20)