On January 14, a dance show entitled "Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting" was staged at Chongqing Shi Guangnan Grand Theater. As a salute to the masterpiece painting "A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers," by Wang Ximeng (1096-1119), a genius painter from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), it proved a great success judging from the reaction of the audience, many of which traveled a long distance from neighboring regions to experience the charm of the dance show.

When modern people meet a Northern Song young painter

Using the genre of "poetic dance," the dance show reveals the inner world of ancient painter Wang Ximeng from the perspective of a modern researcher of the Palace Museum who unfolds the painting scroll, making the audience lost in the charm of legendary traditional Chinese aesthetics.

"In fact, the character can be every one of us. With a pair of eyes that have witnessed the history over the past thousand years, it can communicate with Wang Ximeng." According to Xie Suhao, who plays the character, it is not to tell people how great the masterpiece painting is, but to guide people into an immersive and electrifying experience of the masterpiece painting and the traditional Chinese culture. 

"Besides, we try to strike a balance between tradition and innovation as we integrate dance and heritage protection," said a representative of the dance show team. They hope to create a sincere performance as a homage to craftsmen and cultural relics protection workers who are dedicated to cultural protection and inheritance.

 A rewarding experience for the performers of the poetic dance

Which kind of body language can express the characters most precisely? This question was on the mind of the whole cast throughout the choreography process. According to Zhang Han, who plays the character of Wang Ximeng, to capture the essence of painting Wang Ximeng in a natural, vivid way, he went to a teacher expert in Chinese blue-green landscape painting from the Central Academy of Fine Arts to learn how to draw "A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers." From line drawing to coloring and to dotting, he gradually felt a stronger and deeper connection with the character. "Sometimes, I failed to get myself out of character and just cannot stop crying. Such immersive experiences make me even more deeply respect and revere the character," said Zhang Han.

As Ximeng painted in the center, more characters appeared on the stage, presenting a painting that starts with and ends in charming shades of blue and green. Thus, "A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers" painting has been given a new lease of life.

When poetic dance meets Chongqing

"It brings me a pure experience about beauty. It is not only a drama but also an 'exhibition.' Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!" After the dance show, an excited audience Mo Wei Sha, wrote a review on social media, "More than a thousand years later, vast, green, and lush mountains and rivers still wow people as they did long ago." Chongqing resident Chen Yang said that he "felt a cultural awe in the gorgeous and breathtaking dance show."

Moreover, many parents also brought their children to enjoy the great dance show. "Chinese blue-green landscape painting with characteristic coloring and spotless, vast mountains and rivers represent great vitality and social dynamics. So I bring my children to see the quality show to let them experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture," said a young mother excitedly.

Over the recent years, traditional Chinese dance has gained in popularity. A 15-second teaser of the "Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting" has attracted more than one million likes on social media, and many professional and amateur dancers have danced the dance. In the eyes of Meng Qingyang, the great popularity of the dance show is rooted in people's love for traditional culture. "In the past centuries, the ancient painting of 'A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers' has drawn the attention of worldwide people who pursue and love beautiful things. So I hope our poetic dance inspired by it can be performed on more and bigger stages to show more people all over the world a beautiful China featuring a brilliant mix of old and new."