Guests pose during China Focus event held in Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, on Aug. 22, 2019. The selected productions for 2019 China Focus have all made debut at the Edinburgh Art Festival, with the latest, Rite of Spring choreographed by renowned Chinese dancer Yang Liping, going on the show. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
EDINBURGH, Britain, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The selected productions for 2019 China Focus have all made debut at the Edinburgh Art Festival, with the latest, Rite of Spring choreographed by renowned Chinese dancer Yang Liping, going on the show.
Fergus Linehan, chief executive of Edinburgh International Festival, said Rite of Spring was "absolutely stunning", adding that the China Focus series have shown that an increasing number of talented Chinese artists have emerged in recent years.
Yang, director and choreographer of Rite of Spring which debuted Thursday night, said as a Chinese Bai minority dancer from southwest China's Yunnan province, she was very honored to carry on and promote Chinese culture to the global stage.
Apart from Rite of Spring, the selected productions for 2019 China Focus include the concert by Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival, as well as Chinese chamber musical Tang and Four Dreams, opera The King of Ghosts: Zhong Kui at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Both festivals are part of a wide-ranging Edinburgh Art Festival.
Xu Jianqiang, composer of Tang and Four Dreams, said the story about Tang Xianzu, a great Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty -- also known as the Shakespeare in Asia, could help western audience establish an emotional connection with China.
But the way of telling Chinese stories has to evolve with the times, said Xu, adding that he has blended traditional music expressions with contemporary elements while composing to appeal to western and especially young audience.
In celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, China Focus, organized by the Center for China Shanghai International Arts Festival and Edinburgh International Festival, aims to promote Chinese heritage and culture among international markets with high-quality theater and dramas productions. Each is a contemporary show that blends both China's traditional and its contemporary creative currents.
The Edinburgh Art Festival is one of the biggest celebrations of arts in the world. As part of the festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, created in 1947, has presented breathtaking performances from some of the best musicians and artists that the world has had to offer.
The festival this year kicked off on Aug. 2 and will last until Aug. 26.
