Ballet leaps onto the stage of fitness and fun

By Nie Xin (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-27 15:44

Once considered fancy dancing performed only by experts, ballet is now moving in a new direction in Shanghai as former Chinese ballet dancer Cai Yilei (bottom) plans to take the art to the masses. [Photo: Shanghai Daily]

Once considered fancy dancing performed only by experts and enjoyed only by the upper classes in Europe, ballet is moving in a new direction. In Shanghai a former Chinese great wants to take the art to the masses.

Ouyang Xuan has dreamed of being a ballerina, but when she finally got to pull on a pair of ballet shoes, it felt better than she ever could have imagined.

At the recommendation of a friend, the 30-year-old cosmetics company employee from Chongqing attended a lecture by Cai Yilei, a former renowned Chinese ballet dancer.

During the session Ouyang was able to try some basic ballet steps under the direction of Cai.

"I'd never done it before even though I am very interested in ballet arts. It's classic, elegant and attractive," says Ouyang. "I felt very good when I did some of the basic movements."

She is now considering joining Cai's club to start learning ballet.

In China, gymnastics and dance are no longer strange words when it comes to keeping fit. From jogging to swimming, yoga to pilates, salsa to Latin, people are getting more and more involved in trendy health clubs for beauty, fitness or a more healthy, active lifestyle.

But to most Chinese people, ballet is still considered to be a high-brow art which, originated in France in the 17th century, became popular across Europe.

The gap between ballet and the Chinese general public seems too wide to leap over.

But now, through the efforts of some Chinese ballet artists, people in Shanghai are getting the opportunity to gain a better understanding of ballet - and join the fun if they want.

Cai's lecture kicked off the opening of his Cai Yilei Ballet Club in Shanghai. The club conducts ballet classes of different levels for people interested in the art.

As one of the first ballet clubs in Shanghai, Cai's club has already attracted many dancers who learned ballet previously.

Rochelle Shen also attended the lecture with a group of friends who are all learning ballet together. She works in a bank and has been learning it as hobby for six years. "I also participate in some amateur performances organized by some big theaters," she says.

Shen, in her 30s, says ballet makes her look and feel younger, fitter and prettier. "I'm happy with the establishment of the club and thinking about joining it," she says.

Graduating from Shanghai Dance School in 1988, Cai was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dance in the United Kingdom. He later joined the Sadlers Wells Theater, the former Royal Academy Ballet Troupe of Birmingham and for a time was lead dancer for the Royal Ballet in Scotland.

Cai won a gold medal at the Swiss International Ballet Competition in 1987, the first gold medal ever for a Chinese. He was also honored as one of the "100 Most Distinguished People in Scotland" in 1990.

In 1999, Cai was invited to cut the ribbon at the 30th anniversary of the Scotland International Ballet Troupe and in 2000 took part in a "Cheer for China" performance as part of millennium celebrations at Crystal Palace in London.

Back in Shanghai, Cai started to give lectures on ballet at universities and prepared to set up his own club.

"When I retired from the stage in 2001 after seven years of professional training and more than 20 years of performing, I started to think, 'What shall I do now? Am I too old to continue dancing'?" Cai says. "Then I thought, we are never too old to dance ballet and neither are we too old to start dancing."

Although ballet is very demanding, it is a great way to exercise the body and mind, burning fats and enhancing blood circulation, he says.

"Ballet is not that difficult. It's very popular among Europeans and Americans. Parents tend to send their young children to learn ballet," says Cai. "Rather than wanting them to become professional dancers, they prefer to build healthy bodies and active minds. Ballet is the 'mother of all the dances'."

Now Cai is making a concerted effort to bring ballet to the Chinese public. "I want to unlock the feeling of distance and nervousness people have toward ballet. I hope I can bring to the people of Shanghai with more fun and more popular elements," says Cai.