More diversity and artistic excellence are promised as the curtain raises on the Shanghai International Arts Festival tomorrow.

Chen Shenglai, president of the Shanghai International Arts Festival Center, the organizing committee, has declared that 2005 will surpass the offerings of previous years.

The festival, which runs until November 18, offers 45 theatrical shows and exhibitions highlighting the contrasts between the traditional and the cutting edge in contemporary performance and the fine arts.

Metropolitan rhythm

A number of dance works from ballet to contemporary and Latin, performed by both Chinese and foreigners, will fill the performance calendar in the first two weeks of the Shanghai festival.

The world premiere of the full-length dance work "Mulan" jointly produced by Sydney Dance Company and Shanghai City Dance Company, and choreographed by Graeme Murphy, will open the festival between October 18 and 20.

Shanghai City Dance Company Ltd, as a leading mainland dance producer, has provided spectacular opening shows for three years in a row with "Farewell My Concubine" (Bawang Bieji) in 2003 and "Dream of the Red Mansion" (Honglou Meng) in 2004.

Interpreted variously by many storytellers in China over the past 1,500 years, "Mulan" tells the story of a young woman that disguises herself as a man to serve in the army in her father's place, where she becomes a triumphant warrior undetected for many years.

Walt Disney turned the tale into an animated blockbuster in 1998.

"It's been the most exciting task in my life, so unique and so beautiful," Graeme Murphy, artistic director of Sydney Dance Company, said in a telephone interview with China Daily.

"This Chinese legend has had a strong influence, even on young girls today. Mulan is a brave girl warrior who sacrifices so much for her family and country. There have also been women warriors in Europe like in Shakespeare's drama," said the 55-year-old Australian choreographer.

"It's a dance of battles and it's very strong. It will be a mix of Peking Opera, acrobatics, Russian ballet and it has so many possibilities," he added.

Sydney Dance Company has been touring China with Murphy's works since 1985, gaining popularity that culminated in the huge success of his "Salome" at the Shanghai International Arts Festival in 2002.

Talks leading to the confirmation of the collaboration on "Mulan" were held in December when Michael Mingzhang Sun, vice-chairman and chief executive officer of Shanghai City Dance Company, contacted Murphy to discuss choreography for "Mulan."

In the spirit of cross-cultural unity, Murphy proposed a collaboration making the production a unique and ambitious project, bringing together 65 dancers from both Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble and Sydney Dance Company, accompanied by musicians from Synergy Percussion.

Australian composer Michael Askill of Synergy Percussion serves as musical director. Askill's multi-dimensional score for "Mulan" incorporates live performances by Synergy Percussion and Chinese musicians with the music of Chen Qigang.

The Shanghai City Dance Company and Shanghai Media Group have invested almost US$1 million in the production and Sun is confident of successfully promoting it to the world.

"The first two nights have sold out and only less than 100 tickets of the last show are left," Sun said. "We have established a good reputation here and throughout China. So local dance fans and many agents from abroad are looking forward to seeing the premiere."

More shows to come

After "Mulan," dance lovers will be treated to "Raymonda" by the Bayerische Staatsballett, "La Boheme" by West Australian Ballet, "Dream of the Red Mansion" by Taiwan's acclaimed contemporary dance company Cloud Gate and "Burn the Floor" by 18 pairs of international ballroom and Latin champion dancers.

"Raymonda" is the last great work of the choreographer Marius Petipa from 1898, when he was nearly 80 years old. With the brilliant score by Alexander Glasounov, it attained an equal artistic level to the great Tchaikovsky ballets.

The plot delves into deep emotional conflicts as the Countess Raymonda is torn between the virile Count Jean de Brienne and a seductive Saracen prince. Bayerische Staatsballett's version was choreographed by Ray Barra in 2001.

West Australian Ballet's "La Boheme" will be the first time a company has rendered Puccini's classic opera into a full-length ballet, with choreography from its artistic director Simon Dow.

(China Daily October 17, 2005)