Absolute Test is now rehearsed in the hall of Chongqing Song and Dance Troupe. It is a dance drama about revolution created by Chongqing Song and Dance Troupe. At the invitation of the troupe, Ding Wei, former head of China Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble, came to Chongqing as the director for the play.
The dance drama Absolute Test is in rehearsal. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Ping, the protagonist in Absolute Test, is modeled on Zhang Luping, a figure of Hongyan revolutionary heroism. "During the 100 years after the founding of the Communist Party of China, there have been many more people of no reputation who sacrificed for the CPC and made indelible contributions to the revolutionary cause besides those widely known heroes and martyrs. We should also pay attention to them and sing the praises of them," said Ding Wei.
The character "Ping" is played by Zhang Yin. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Zhang Luping's heroic deeds were previously presented in modern Peking Opera, TV dramas, and other works. Ding Wei expected the play to be unique by exploring her difficult position deep inside as a wife, mother, and undercover revolutionary and highlighting her firm belief. Ding Wei said, "Zhang Luping is a great Communist Party member, and also an ordinary woman, so I want to explore her as an individual and woman from the perspective of life, place focus on her psychological activities, especially how she felt for family, husband, and child, and further discover how a woman would choose and see about survival."
Ding Wei believed that only by adequately conveying the characters' inner emotions can they truly impress and arouse sympathy from the audience, so he required actors to interpret the figures' inner world and get themselves fully engaged. Ding Wei recalled that the actors did not understand what Zhang Luping adhered to at the start of rehearsal. To better present the figure "Ping," the actors were required to get inside the characters' minds during the rehearsal. "Zhang Luping could have chosen an easy life, but for the sake of the country and faith, she left her family resolutely. What motivated her? I believe that all will feel the power of faith from the play."
Ding Wei, born in the north, immediately felt the city's vitality when he arrived at Chongqing for the first time. "Chongqing is a young municipality directly under the Central Government. Many youths visited here to experience its rapid development and changes. Therefore, the artwork should also reveal the city's style, history, and vitality." Ding Wei wants to create a dance drama peculiar to Chongqing.
"I felt like I was climbing uphill all the time in Chongqing. Especially when I came here to Kuixing Building for rehearsal, I was often confused about which floor I should take the elevator to," Ding Wei was amused. Chongqing's unique urban landscape is impressive and reflected in the dance drama.
Six ice screens show the irregular distribution of buildings in Chongqing. The stage installations with which the people can "walk in the air," as well as stairs of different heights and shapes, are also employed. Ding Wei said: "The play is performed in the air almost all the time, and the actors will dance on the stairs four meters high. The installations not only bring challenges to the actors but also add diversity to the space as it more looks like Chongqing."
The stage installations with which the people can "walk in the air." (Photo provided to iChongqing)
"The dance drama is eventually to be shown on the stage and in the theater to a wider audience, to arouse their emotional resonance." Ding Wei said, "I want to attract more people to the theater and the story of martyrs in obscurity like Zhang Luping, and encourage them to learn about this city of heroes by turning the psychological activities of the characters into the clue and making the play as modern as possible."