Bridging East and West: China’s “Peacock Princess” recreates “Rite of Spring”

The dance drama “Rite of Spring”, produced by famous Chinese dancer Yang Liping, made its debut in Kunming, capital city of Yunnan province on October 11. After that, the show will be staged during Shanghai International Art Festival and begin its international tour to London, Edinburgh, Melbourne and etc.

“Rite of Spring” is a ballet and orchestral concert work by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, which is widely considered to be one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century. Over the years, this classic is being frequently reproduced. Different creators present different adaptations.

Based on the understanding of Chinese culture, Yang Liping's new version of “Rite of Spring” tries to present the western classics, the relationship between human and nature in an eastern poetic way.

Yang Liping was born in Yunnan and is the director of the famous performance art show “Dynamic Yunnan” and the dance drama "Spirit of Peacock". Many of her works enjoy great popularity both at home and abroad due to her ethereal beauty. Thus she is described by some foreign media as the “Peacock Princess of China”.