China's finest artistic export premieres at The Lowry
Hat juggling and costume change challenges for the Acrobatic Swan Lake…
CHINA’S FINEST ARTISTIC EXPORT PREMIERES AT THE LOWRY
The Lowry, Wed 30 July - Sat 2 August 2008
Chinese Acrobatic Swan Lake
Just one week before the Olympics start in Beijing, The Lowry is delighted to present one of China’s finest artistic exports for the first time in this country.
Acrobatic Swan Lake is the biggest production in more than 50 years of Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China. As Swan Lake features more than 500 costumes, many with lots of accessories, it took 15 workers three months to finish them. For example, the White Swan dress needed hundreds of diamonds which had to be sewed by hand one by one.
Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China set a world standard both for balletic beauty and acrobatic excellence and their Swan Lake has mesmerised audiences from Moscow to New York. This extraordinary production of Swan Lake - in which Black Swans dance on high wires and the Swan Princess dances on pointe on her partner’s head - has created a worldwide sensation. The incredible pas de deux between Wei Baohua's Prince and Wu Zhengdan's White Swan has made the couple - husband and wife in real life - into international stars.
The show presents an enormous challenge both in terms of the costume changes and the acrobatics. For example, there is only one minute for eleven performers to change from their heavy outfits required for the poles act, into costumes for the gym wheel. Even hat juggling whilst standing on pointe has been especially created for this production!
The graceful beauty of the ballet is mixed flawlessly with pole balancing, jumping through fire hoops, rope walking, ball walking and jujitsu. It has been choreographed by former Hong Kong Ballet principal dancer Zhao Ming, who has ensured that the true spirit of Swan Lake remains at the heart of this truly spectacular event.
The production grew out of a desire to bring the traditional performing art out of the circus tent and onto the stage. It was created as a co-production with Shanghai City Dance Company. The production proved a hit at its Premiere in Beijing in 2006 and has since thrilled audiences worldwide, from Moscow to New York.
The UK premiere performance of the Chinese Acrobatic Swan Lake at The Lowry is being sponsored by the Co-operative Bank.
The impresario Victor Hochhauser presents the Company’s first ever UK tour which visits Salford, London and Nottingham for a three-week tour in the summer of 2008.
Posted on Monday, 14 July 2008 under Press Theatre Press