What's on

Stage

Sight, Sound and Action company presents its latest show Mad Cow's Rite of Spring to celebrate the Chinese New Year at Meilanfang Grand Theater.

The four traditional Chinese Gods of Blessing, Scholarship, Longevity and Wealth will host the show and it features the highlights of the Canada-based production company's seven shows - Of Heaven and Earth, Heartbeat, Terracotta Warriors, Tang Concubines, Phoenix, Scene and Monkey King. All these shows combine Chinese dance, original music, acrobatics and martial arts.

7:30 pm, Jan 16-18

31 Ping'anli Xidajie Street, Xicheng district

400-810-3721, 400-818-3333

Rafael Aguilar's Ballet Teatro Espanol will bring its famous flamenco dance show Carmen to Tianqiao Theater.

Based on the story and music of Bizet's masterpiece, Spanish choreographer Rafael Aguilar has created a fascinating, erotic dance drama that fuses the expressionism of modern ballet with traditional Spanish dance. The audience itself is drawn into a maelstrom of emotions: a hot mixture of flamenco and bolero, with subliminal dance scenes and sensual choreography. Aguilar has created a timeless dance drama that sets him apart from other Spanish choreographers of classical, pure flamenco.

7:30 pm, Jan 21-23

30 Beiwei Lu, Xuanwu district

8447-7309, 8447-7129

The Monkey King is one of the best-known Chinese legendary figures. Based on Journey to the West, one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature, the adventures of the monkey who accompanies the monk Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India have been adapted into various theatrical productions, movies and TV programs. In January at Beizhan Theater, you will see a brand-new stage adaptation of the legends, combining Chinese kungfu, dance, acrobatics and drama. The six-act "circus dance" show is directed by Chen Weiya, who assisted director Zhang Yimou at the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Chinese composer Xu Peidong scores the music while renowned choreographer Feng Shuangbai creates the dance numbers.

7:30 pm, Jan 14-23

Beizhan Theater, 135 Xizhimenwai Dajie, Xicheng district

5165-8609, 5165-8606

The classic novel of Qing writer Cao Xueqin, Dream of Red Mansion, is back on stage in the form of a dance drama. It is a tragic story of love and marriage in a noble family, and the social changes that accompany the rise and fall of a typical feudal family.

7:30 pm, Jan 5, 6

National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tian'anmen Square

6655-0000

Led by Ni Danxia, the Beijing Wing of Spring chorus will entertain audiences with a New Year concert of worldwide folk songs. Programs include Youth Dance, Wait for You Until Dawn, Naxi Bonfire and Selling Peanuts.

7:30 pm, Jan 3

Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen

6559-8285

Most people hope to find the "one", but sometimes the right person has been there all the time.

Tian Zhuo Zhi He (Lost in love), a romantic comedy about mistaken identity, focuses on the drama of arranged marriages.

"People get more chances to meet new friends nowadays and usually they are straight to the point when sending a love message," Yin says. "My play is about a time when lovers talked and reacted in a relaxing and humorous way. It was a time of selflessness and was in contrast to modern society."

7:30 pm, until Jan 4

PLA Opera Theater, 60 Deshengmennei Dajie

8408-5551, 8408-5506

Exhibitions

Some veteran Chinese ink artists including Feng Yuan, Wu Dongkui, Zhang Beiyun and Song Bin are holding a group show in southern Beijing. On display are at least 50 Chinese ink works featuring flowers, birds, landscapes, and portraits.

10 am-5 pm, until Jan 18

Wu Dongkui Art Museum, 1 Donghuashi Dajie, Chongwen district

5100-5500

Destroyed Lines includes photographs, video works and sculptures by four contributors, Swiss artist Beat Kuert, Japanese artist Megumi Shimizu, and Italian artists Francesca Martire and Paola Fiorido.

Highlights are Kuert's photographs and video works, in which fire, smoke, water, dust, porcelain shards and crumbling buildings evoke a sense of loss and missed opportunity in the modern time.

10:30 am-5:30 pm, until Jan 8

Imagine Gallery, Feijiacun Donglu, Cuigezhuang, Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang district

6438-5747

Vanguard artists active in the late 1980s in Shanxi province, including Datong Dazhang, Zhu Yanguang and Ren Xiaoying are holding a group retrospective show at the Wall Art Museum in downtown Beijing.

On show are about 30 works of oil paintings and photos that record performance art acts, installations, sketches and artists' manuscripts. These artists are all members of WR, one of the most active, local vanguard art groups of the 1985 Art New Wave in China.

10 am - 5 pm, from Jan 1-22

The Wall Art Museum, 34 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang district

6564-8233 ext 801

(China Daily 01/01/2009 page9)