Dance Drama Dufu to Be Staged to Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of PRC

Jieyu Wang in Culturenews

By Jieyu Wang, Editor

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Chongqing Song & Dance Ensemble Co., Ltd. (CQGW). As a reward for all the support and hard work over the past seven decades, CQGW will stage a dance drama named Du Fu in Guotai Arts Center at 19:30 on October 9th and 10th. This grand show is themed “song-like brilliant times, dance for gorgeous years—celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the PRC”.

Dufu has been the first dance drama to tell stories about the so-called “Poet Sage” in China.

The first municipal-level professional art troupe established after the liberation of Chongqing, Chongqing Art Troupe, was the predecessor of CQGW. It was founded in December 1949 on the foundation of Art Performance Group of Southwest Service Troupe, which was affiliated with the Command of the Second Field Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Over the past 70 years, CQGW remained true to its original aspiration and kept its mission in mind, winning remarkable achievements in talent cultivation, drama creation, and excellent show production. Now, it has developed into an extensive and comprehensive performing art entity integrating dances, vocal music, performance planning & marketing, stage engineering design & production, stage equipment & clothes rental, and art training.

Dance drama Dufu.

As one of the representative masterpieces of CQGW, Dufu has been the first dance drama to tell stories about the so-called “Poet Sage” in China. With an impressionistic style, it reproduces Du Fu’s life of constant unrest. The processes of his aspiration to be a civil servant, contributions to the then court and resignation are miniatures of the ups and downs of the Tang Dynasty. This drama has succeeded in showing Du Fu’s patriotism and moral integrity — cherishing the country as his life and contributing to better people’s livelihood, by connecting stories with separated dance parts. It also profoundly interprets the connotation, and social and cultural origin of his poems, which mirror the success and failure of the then government.

After a year of creation and three years of reshaping, the show debuted on April 28, 2016. Since then, it has been well received by the industry and audiences. Du Fu has been listed in the 2015 creation funding, 2017 promotion & exchange funding, and 2018 rolling funding projects of China National Arts Fund. It has also involved in the 2016 Season of the National Center for the Performing Arts, the 12th National Dance Exhibition, and other significant events, totaling over 30 performances. Du Fu has also been presented on other various events for more than 80 times. Besides, it won the 10th Lotus Award of China National Dance Drama Competition and was nominated by the 16th Wenhua Prize. The choreography and lighting design had also been selected in the World Stage Design 2017.