A celebration of its history

Besides its classical productions, Shanghai Ballet has also created many new masterpieces over the decades, including Bright Red Star, which premiered in October.

"To me, the biggest challenge was telling a story from China through ballet, a Western dance art," says Zhao Ming, director and choreographer of the production. "Ballet has gone a long way in China since The White-Haired Girl, and we have to make new breakthroughs to create contemporary interpretations of revolutionary themes."

Starting from March 15, Bright Red Star is touring more than 20 cities, such as Nanchang in Jiangxi province, Beijing, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Xiamen in Fujian province.

"We will further revise the production during the tour as we take in the comments from the audience and critics," Zhao says.

Based on a 1974 movie of the same title, the ballet portrays a young soldier marching with his platoon to fight the invading Japanese troops. In a series of flashbacks, the soldier revisits moments from his childhood, such as when he bid farewell to his father, and when he lost his mother to a fire.

Over Sept 2-3, a new rendition of Bright Red Star will be presented at the Shanghai International Dance Center.