China Central Ballet Troupe (CCBT) will promote four new performances this year, allowing young artists to play the leading roles, said Zhao Ruheng, director of the troupe, on Friday.

According to Zhao, the four new performances will include a show of three French masterpieces, a jazz-style ballet show directed by French maestro Roland Petit, and two most popular ballet operas "Giselle" and "Romeo and Juliet".

"These performances, in addition to the already performed ones, will present the audience with a diverse look at ballet," Zhao said. "And young artists who have established their fame at home and overseas will play major roles in the performances."

Zhao said one ballet troupe should cultivate and introduce star artists to attract bigger audiences. In recent years, CCBT has seen a rise of young artists represented by Zhu Yan, Zhang Jian, Sun Jie, Wang Qimin, Meng Ningning, Li Jun and Yu Bo. Winning several prizes at various international competitions, they were frequently invited to perform major roles by well-known ballet troupes in the United States, Britain, France and Japan.

Zhao revealed that a selection of a ballet star will be held at the end of this year, so that Chinese audiences could get to know the young ballet dancers better.

Zhao said the troupe has developed its own artistic style based on the Russian ballet training system over the past half a century since the CCBT was founded. In recent years, the CCBT continuously increased its investment in production, especially new and original works, and invited many world-renowned ballet dancers and producers to teach the Chinese dancers.

She stressed that to join hands with theater is an effective way for a ballet troupe to explore the market and win audience. This year, most of the performances of CCBT will be staged in Tianqiao Theater, in which many of the world's top ballet troupes made their premiere in China.

The ballet troupe is also responsible for imparting the knowledge of ballet to common people and cultivating a long-term and stable market for ballet, Zhao noted.

"Therefore, the CCBT will also give low-price tickets to true ballet fans and host exchange activities between artists and audiences," she said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2006)