Chinese artists have choreographed a samba show - for a specially invited Brazilian troupe.

The China National Song and Dance Ensemble invited the 35-strong group to lead a song and dance spectacular.

The show is based on original Brazilian music and samba steps.

Chinese composer Bian Liunian and Wang Yougui are the executive directors. The piece was choreographed by Dan Yannian. In the two-hour show, the audience is introduced to the versatile beauty through song and dance of Brazilian samba. All aspects of its people's lives are reflected from music and football to ancient tribes.

And returning the favour, the artists from Brazil are to dance highlights of the Chinese classic The Red Detachment of Women and sing pop songs including Jasmine Flower and The Sun is the Reddest, Chairman Mao is the Dearest.

A special light show aims to involve the audience to the max.

The show, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Sino-Brazilian diplomatic relations, is a major production by China Song and Dance Ensemble which has pumped some 3 million yuan (US$36 million) into it. After its Beijing debut, the show will tour a dozen cities including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xi'an and Qingdao.

Tickets: 80-680 yuan (US$10-82)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, July 9-11

Location: Beizhan Theatre, Xizhimenwai Street

Tel: 6554-6666, 6551-8888 (北展剧场，西直门外)

Disney on Ice is hot ticket

An ice skating show with a difference is proving a hot ticket at the box office in Beijing. Disney on Ice celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the company's cartoons.

Beijing's largest ticket centre ever has been set up in China Performing Art Agency (CPAA) along Ping'an Avenue, as was requested by Feld Entertainment which is behind the show.

Covering an area of 200 square metres, the office is filled with ribbons and balloons as well as vivid cartoon characters from Disney films and familiar theme music pieces.

The skating show features some of Disney's most popular characters including Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Donald Duck, the Lion King, Pinocchio and Snow White.

Tickets: 80-500 yuan (US$10-60)

Time/date: 10:30 am, 2:30 pm, 7:30 pm, July 20-25

Location: Capital Gymnasium, Baishiqiaolu

Tel: 8528-2222 (首都体育馆，白石桥路)

Stage

Dracula returns

Based on the classic novel by Irish playwright Bram Stoker, Dracula is to be staged in a modern ballet by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet from Canada. It is to be performed for the first time in China, by Canadian ballet dancers led by Chinese-Canadian master Zhang Weiqiang.

Tickets: 80-500 (US$10-60)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, June 25

Location: Poly Theatre, Dongsishitiao

Tel: 8528-2222

保利剧院，东四十条路口

Blowing their trumpets

The Brass Band of the British Royal Conservatory of Music is to tour China. Founded at the end of the 20th century, the troupe will play classical, jazz, new age, light and pop music as well as excerpts from some musicals. The British musicians, except one Chinese young man, Cai Ying, will also play traditional and classic Chinese pieces.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, June 26

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall

Tel: 6559-8285

中山音乐堂，中山公园内

Arabian nights

The Arabian Song and Dance Ensemble is set to wow the capital with another saucy display of belly dancing.

Based on Arabian legends, a song and dance spectacular called One Thousand and One Nights will be featured, depicting unforgettable love stories. The five-act show lasts some 110 minutes. Look out for belly dancing, sword and mermaid dancing as well as dazzling displays of balance with water jars.

Tickets: 80-800 yuan (US$10-96)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, June 27

Location: Beizhan Theatre, Xizhimenwai

Tel: 6406-8888

北展剧场，西直门外大街

Butterfly from Broadway

Leonard Gershe's Broadway play Butterflies Are Free will be brought to the capital stage by actors from Shanghai Drama Centre and Hong Kong Spring Stage troupe.

It is a love story between a blind young man and an active, open-minded girl who has almost given up her hope for love.

Tickets: 80-800 yuan (US$10-96)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, June 27, 28

Location: Grand Chang'an Theatre, Jianguomennei Street

Tel: 6510-1155, 6510-1310

长安大剧院，建国门内大街

Seniors still marching

Founded in 1998, the Old Comrades Chorus is to once again perform the vocal suite Long March, a piece debuted 39 years ago.

The veteran singers are mostly over 70 years old. Many Performed in the debut of the show in 1965 or appeared in the film of the same name in 1976.

Tang Jiang, the first conductor at the show's premiere, is now 76. He will once again take the baton. Senior members of the chorus will sing still clad in the light grey-blue Red Army uniforms and caps.

The Long March suites depict revolutionary spirit, hardship, optimism and patriotism of the Red Army soldiers in the Long March years of glory.

Tickets: 30-180 yuan(US$4-22)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, June 30

Location: The Great Theatre of Cultural Palace of Nationalities, west of Xidan

Tel: 6602-2530

民族宫大剧院，西单西

Red detachment

Ballerinas from the China National Ballet of China are to dance the classical The Red Detachment of Women again.

Since its premiere in 1964, the ballet has become a representative Chinese ballet, having been staged for numerous times, highlighting the heroic lives of Chinese women in the army.

Tickets: 80-880 yuan (US$10-106)

Time/dates: 7:30 pm, July 1,2

Location: Poly Theatre, Dongsishitiao

Tel: 6506-5345

保利剧院，东四十条路口

Serving the people

A drama called Trade Union Chairman based on the true life of Li He, a selfless trade union director in China, is set for the capital stage.

Li has been working in the Trade Union field for 38 years, a decade of which was spent as chairman of a petrol company in Liaoning Province.

Despite many hardships, he carried out countless good deeds, including helping 98 homeless workers move into new apartments, founding a fund to help 1,000 poverty-ridden dropout students get back to school and helping 8,000 jobless people back to work.

The 110-minute drama depicts a common yet touching figure with sincerity. It has a reputation for moving the audience to tears.

Tickets: 50-280 yuan (US$6-34)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, July 2-6

Location: The Great Theatre of Cultural Palace of Nationalities, west of Xidan, Xicheng District

Tel: 6602-2530

民族宫大剧院，西单西

Italian serenade

China National Symphony Orchestra is to hold another concert, inviting Italian pianist Fabio Bidini to solo. Li Xincao will conduct.

Programme: Coronation March, String Serenade by Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No 2 by Rachmaninov.

Tickets: 30-380 yuan (US$4-46)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, July 3

Location: China National Library Concert Hall, Zhongguancun Nandajie

Tel: 8854-5501

国图音乐厅，中关村南大街

Dvorak honoured

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of the late composer Antonin Dvorak, musicians from the China National Philharmonic Orchestra will hold another concert. Yu Long, artistic director of the orchestra is to conduct. Wang Jian will be the cello master.

Programme: Carnival Overture, Cello Concerto in B minor, Op 104 and Symphony No 7 in D minor, Op 70, all by Dvorak (1841-1904).

Tickets: 80-680 yuan (US$10-82)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, July 11

Location: Poly Theatre, Dongsishitiao

Tel: 6506-5345

保利剧院，东四十条路口

Cinema

Together

(He Ni Zai Yi Qi)

Tickets: 50 yuan (US$6), 30 yuan (US$4) with Student Card.

Time/date: 8 pm, June 25, 26

Location: Cherry Lane Movies, Gate 29, Anjialou Street, near the 21st Century Theatre

For info: www.cherrylanemovies.com.cn

安家楼路，世纪剧院东北

Ginger e Fred

Director: Federico Fellini

Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Giulietta Masina

Amelia and Pippo are reunited after several decades to perform their old music hall act (imitating Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers) on a TV variety show. It's both a touchingly nostalgic journey into the past, and a viciously satirical attack on television in general and Italian TV in particular, portraying it as a mindless freak show aimed at morons.

Comedy. In Italian with Chinese subtitles.

Tickets: Free of charge

Time/date: 7 pm, June 25

Location: Italian Embassy, 2 Dong'erjie, Sanlitun

Tel: 6532-2187

意大利使馆，三里屯东二街2号

The Passion of Berenice

Director: Jaime Humberto Hermosillo

Berenice, a brooding young widow scarred by the fire that mysteriously took her husband's life, becomes the caretaker of her ailing godmother. There she falls for her godmother's handsome young doctor, who awakens her passion and fantasies.

In this dark, Hitchcockian drama, director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo masterfully weaves a subplot of passion and intrigue, likening Berenice to a black widow spider.

In Spanish version with English subtitles.

Tickets: Free of charge

Time/date: 7:30 pm, June 30

Location: Embassy of Mexico, 5 Dongwujie Sanlitun

Tel: 6532-2244

墨西哥使馆，三里屯东五街5号

Memory lane

Summer's connection to memory is the theme of an art exhibition staged by artists who are trying to decode the meaning of the season with their works at Creation Art Gallery.

Some vivid and unforgettable memories are depicted with lively strokes in bright colours, leading people back into a world full of sweet memories.

Time/date: 10 am-7 pm until July 9

Location: north end of Ritan Lu

Tel: 8561-7570

日坛路北端

Dream paintings

A large-scale art exhibition featuring pictures of old Beijing is underway at China Art Museum.

A total of 61 artists have contributed to display 80 traditional Chinese paintings. Searching for dreams is the theme of the exhibition which unfolds a picture of the typical historical sites and constructions in the city such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.

Time/date: 9 am-5 pm until June 29

Location: 1 Wusi Dajie

Tel: 6401-7076

中国美术馆

Nomads noted

A large-scale exhibition featuring the cultural and historical tradition of the nomadic ethnic people in the northern grassland is underway at China Millennium Monument.

The displayed exhibits are collected from 20 museums across the nation with a history spanning back 3,000 years. They illustrate the magnificent history of ethnic groups like the Donghu, Hun, Xianbei (Sienpi), Tujue (Turk), Qidan (Khitan) and Mongolians who lived in the vast northern grassland.

Time/date: 9 am-4:30 pm until August 28

Location: 9A Fuxing Lu

Tel: 6857-3281

中华世纪坛

Village people

A total of 13 artists living close to each other are jointly staging an art exhibition at China Art Seasons Gallery.

The exhibition name, Huajiadi, is directly taken from a residential area where the participating artists live. As professional artists from different parts of the country, they tend to identify themselves as drifters who are rootless in the city. With different creations the artists reveal their feelings about the city and their place in it.

Time/date: 11 am-7 pm until August 6

Location: 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu

Tel: 6431-1900

酒仙桥路2号

Figures in retrospect

An exhibition of figure paintings by contemporary Chinese artists looking back at famous people in history is underway at the art museum of the Traditional Chinese Painting Research Institute. A total of 33 artists presented their works in traditional Chinese painting style.

Time/date: 9 am-4:30 pm until June 28

Location: 54 Xisanhuan Beilu

Tel: 6841-1369

中国画研究院美术馆

Guan's classic

A series of modern oil paintings entitled Classic by artist Guan Yong will be showcased at the Qin Gallery.

Mostly based on the reflection on history and the ruling power, Guan's paintings are clearly characterized by elements taken from what used to be considered as classic. Figures with different striking expressions are depicted along with those so-called classic elements in Guan's works to reveal the artist's doubtful attitude. The artist mainly employs three colours in his paintings as a way to illustrate an ironic comedy through which people can see his understanding of modern society and life.

Time/date: 9:30 am-7 pm, July 1-15

Location: 1-1E Huaweili, north of Beijing Curio City

Tel: 8779-0461

华威里1-1E，北京古玩城北

King of colour

Artist Li Fuyuan's personal art exhibition entitled Splendid Colours will start at the Moledic Gallery.

Li's works are characterized by distinctive shapes in strong colours which impress people with a clear ambience of simplicity and passion. He uses bright colours and swift strokes in his works to convey wisdom, zealous wishes and strength.

Time/date: 9 am-5 pm, July 1-31

Location: 14 Jianwai Dajie

Tel: 6518-8123

建外大街14号

Beautiful bodies

Body figures in abstract images by artist Zhao Rui will be showcased at the Fafa Art Gallery on July 3.

Zhao combines abstract images with a free brush painting style to depict the subtle, soft images of people. With different lines and bold colours, he attempts to explore the

energy and passion of life which form a revelation of humanity and people's constant pursuit of a better life.

Time/date: 10:30 am-8 pm, July 3-18

Location: 1 Xiangjiang Beilu

Tel: 8450-6888 ext 310

香江北路1号

(Business Weekly 06/24/2004 page8)