Dance drama "Lady White Snake" to open Chinese Culture Festival 2026 in June to revive millennial legend with contemporary resonance (with photos)
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While drawing from the beloved legend "The Legend of the White Snake", the production breaks free from the traditional framework, reimagining the timeless tale through the lens of a psychological drama. The narrative follows a wife who, haunted by recurring dreams of the Green Snake, is taken by her husband to see a psychologist. Under hypnosis, the layers of her dreams are unveiled, embarking on a spiritual journey of pursuing self-determination. The programme constructs two parallel realms: the "contemporary" world - comprising the wife, the husband and the psychologist - mirrors the "ancient" world of Lady White (White Snake), Xu Xian and Fa Hai. Xiao Qing (Green Snake) flits between these two realms, symbolising the "untamed id" of the wife in search of her true self. White Snake and Green Snake exist as two sides of the same coin, with their conflict and eventual synthesis reflecting the struggles, choices and growth of modern souls.
The production retains iconic chapters of the traditional lore, such as "Borrowing the Umbrella on the West Lake", "Encounter at the Broken Bridge" and "Flooding of Jinshan Temple", while utilising the interplay of reality and illusion to create a dialogue between contemporary life and the ancient legend. The scenes are named after Solar Terms and traditional festivals, including Awakening the Insects, Grain Rain, Grain in Ear, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. These markers not only drive the narrative but also mirror the emotional arcs of the characters, demonstrating a refined application of traditional culture.
"Lady White Snake" blends Western ballet with Chinese classical dance, while infusing elements of modern dance and martial arts to create a unique multidisciplinary style. This fusion enriches the choreographic vocabulary, heightening the emotional expression of the characters and the overall narrative tension. The iconic scene "Encounter at the Broken Bridge" is presented through a ballet pas de deux depicting the encounter between the White Snake and Xu Xian, where the tossing and catching of an oil-paper umbrella conveys the subtle sentiments of oriental charm. The duet of Fa Hai and Xiao Qing features fluttering water sleeves and soaring leaps, showcasing the power and agility inherent in Chinese classical dance. Ensemble sequences - ranging from the modern supermarket shopping scene to the underwater world beneath the lake - utilise delicate and fluid body language to create unique tableaus steeped in oriental aesthetic resonance.
"Lady White Snake" brings together a "dream team" of top-tier artists from various disciplines and celebrated dancers. Tan YuanYuan serves as artistic director, with Zhou Ke, associate professor of the Directing Department at Shanghai Theatre Academy, takes on the role of director, and Luo Zhou, a national first-class scriptwriter and director of the Jiangsu Provincial Drama and Literature Creation Institute, acts as playwright - forming a female-led creative trio. The choreographer is Wang Peixian, a young dancer and faculty member of the Department of Musical Theater at Beijing Dance Academy. Music is composed by Xu Zhong, Artistic Director of Shanghai Opera House and a renowned conductor and pianist. The set design is the work of Gao Guangjian, Stage Design Director of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, together with Xiao Lihe, lighting designer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony, and renowned new media artist Feng Jiangzhou, who jointly create a stage space that seamlessly transitions between modern and classical aesthetics. Adding further brilliance to the production is costume design by Viola Zhang, an emerging post-90s designer.
In terms of casting, the "Moon" cast will take the stage on June 12, comprising principal dancer of the Suzhou Ballet, Ao Dingwen (as wife/Lady White); first principal dancer of the Shanghai Ballet, Wu Husheng (as husband/Xu Xian); as well as principal dancers of the Shanghai Opera House Dance Ensemble, Tan Yimei (as Xiao Qing) and Song Yu (as psychologist/Fa Hai). The "Luck" cast will then perform in the second performance on June 13, featuring principal dancer of Cincinnati Ballet from the United States, Liu Sirui (as wife/Lady White); former principal dancer of the Béjart Ballet Lausanne from the Switzerland, Sun Jiayong (as husband/Xu Xian); as well as national first-class actors Wang Nianci (as Xiao Qing) and Su Hailu (as psychologist/Fa Hai) from the Youth Dance Company of Beijing Dance Academy. Dancers from the Shanghai Opera House Dance Ensemble will participate in both performances.
The Shanghai Grand Theatre, the first world-class international theatre on the Chinese Mainland, opened in 1998. In 2022, it established the Shanghai Grand Theatre Creative Centre, which produces original works of "Oriental Stage Aesthetics Series" and commercial musicals, integrating Chinese aesthetics into contemporary expression and international narratives. The Shanghai Opera House Dance Ensemble is a long-renowned professional dance company on the Chinese Mainland. Its national dance drama "Dagger Society" is regarded as one of the foundation works of Chinese national dance drama. Over the years, the ensemble has nurtured numerous distinguished choreographers and performing artists.
"Dance Drama 'Lady White Snake' by Shanghai Grand Theatre" will be held at 7.30pm on June 12 and 13 (Friday and Saturday) at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC). Tickets priced at $220, $300, $400, $520 and $620 are available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. The CCF offers various discount schemes, such as group booking discounts, package booking discounts and the newly introduced "Generations Together 1+1" discount. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit the programme website www.ccf.gov.hk/en/programme/lady-white-snake-by-shanghai-grand-theatre/. Performance on June 12 will be followed by a meet-the-artist session (conducted in Putonghua). Audience members are welcome to stay behind to join.
A number of extension activities will be organised for this programme. A pre-performance talk will be held at 7.30pm on June 10 (Wednesday) at AC1, 4/F, Administration Building, HKCC. Tan YuanYuan and main casts/creative team will share their creative journey of this dance drama. In addition, a dance masterclass will be co-organised by the LCSD and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), in which Tan YuanYuan will explain how to apply modern sensibility to a classic legend through leading a masterclass for students from the School of Dance of the HKAPA. It will be held at 2.30pm on June 11 (Thursday) at Dance Studio 1 of the HKAPA. Observers are welcome. The above-mentioned two extension activities will be conducted in Putonghua. Admission is free, and online registration is required (www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_1943.html#tab_8_0) on a first-come, first-served basis.
The programme will also feature a session under the "Chinese Culture for All: A Special Performance Series", with an open rehearsal to be held at 2.15pm on June 12 at the Grand Theatre of the HKCC. Admission is free for local primary and secondary school students to encourage them to participate in cultural activities and experience the wonders of Chinese culture and arts. Interested schools can call 2268 7323 for details.
The CCF, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Chinese Culture Promotion Office under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public's sense of national identity and cultural confidence, thereby facilitating patriotic education. It also aims to attract top-notch artists and arts groups from the Chinese Mainland and other parts of the world for exchanges in Chinese arts and culture. The CCF 2026 will be held from June to September. It will host various forms of distinctive stage programmes and related extension activities, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, talks, workshops, as well as community and school activities, affording the public and visitors more opportunities to appreciate and experience the beauty of fine traditional Chinese culture. For more information about programmes and activities of the CCF 2026, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:31
Issued at HKT 11:31
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