Dancing red
By Chen Nan | China Daily | Updated: 2014-07-21 07:16
The revolutionary ballet The Red Detachment of Women is a Chinese classic. Now in its 50th year, it is touring the country and proving to be as relevant and as popular as ever. Chen Nan reports.
Zhang Jian has performed as Wu Qionghua, the lead role of The Red Detachment of Women, more times than she can count. "I've done it at least 100 times," the National Ballet of China principal ballerina says.
"Technique isn't a problem. But it was very challenging doing the choreography developed under the supervision of Chairman Mao's wife, Jiang Qing. What I initially found difficult was portraying a 1930s-era woman soldier. But the more I perform her role, the better I understand her."
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