Chongqing - The Chongqing Ballet Troupe recently premiered the upgraded version of "The Red Shoes" in Chongqing, marking the start of an ambitious 2025 national tour. Beginning May 1, the troupe will perform across multiple provinces, including Guangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, Sichuan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Guangdong, culminating in a grand 100-performance celebration in Shenzhen.
Set against the background of "The Bombing of Chongqing", the ballet tells the moving story of Dai Ailian, a returning dancer who devoted herself to resisting against Japanese aggression and saving the country, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Global War against Fascism.
The stage photo of The Red Shoes. (Photo/Chongqing Ballet Troupe)
As the first ballet in China themed on the War of Resistance, "The Red Shoes" debuted in 2023 and has since performed 62 shows nationwide to widespread acclaim. The upgraded version enhances the storyline, stage design, and music, heightening dramatic conflict and emotional depth.
The protagonist, Dai Ailian, protects war orphans at Chongqing Yucai School, intertwining personal fate with national struggle, showcasing the power of art amidst turmoil.
The stage photo of The Red Shoes. (Photo/Chongqing Ballet Troupe)
During the war, Chongqing endured 6 years and 10 months of Japanese air raids, with 218 bombings and over 11,500 bombs dropped. Yet the city's unyielding spirit—"the more bombed, the stronger"—made it a key pillar of the Eastern Front of the Global War against Fascism.
The stage photo of The Red Shoes. (Photo/Chongqing Ballet Troupe)
The ballet reimagines this resilience, portraying cultural icons such as Lao She, Ba Jin, and Dai Ailian, who fought with pen and dance, lending the work a profound sense of historical authenticity.
Artistically, "The Red Shoes" masterfully integrates elements such as layered stone stairways and the "Rain of Bashan" in its stage design, while costumes highlight vivid ethnic styles, authentically recreating wartime Chongqing.
The dancers' resilient yet explosive performances use Western ballet language to narrate a Chinese story, creating a unique fusion of international flair, Chinese spirit, and "Bashu" charm.
Beyond being a piece of art, "The Red Shoes" serves as a modern inheritance of wartime spirit. Eighty years on, the spirit of resistance remains evergreen. From the wartime capital to a modern metropolis, Chongqing continues to tell China's story in its distinctive voice.
(Wang Shuyun, as an intern, also contributed to the report)