Gun-toting Ballerinas Launch Beijing Arts Complex
Ballerinas with machine guns will grace the stage for the first performance at China National Grand Theater, when the spectacular arts complex opens its doors on Tuesday.
The Red Detachment of Women ballet is one of seven shows that will be put on during a trial of the silver, egg-shaped building designed by the French architect Paul Andreu.
In keeping with the controversy that has surrounded the siting of such a futuristic structure so close to The Forbidden City, the Red Detachment was conceived in 1964 as a challenge to traditional notions of ballet. It is a propaganda tale of a young peasant girl who joins the People's Liberation Army after being rescued from slavery. The ballerinas wear military uniforms, clench their firsts, fight with swords and dance through cannon fire.
During the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, it was one of only eight shows that Jiang Qing - better known in the west as Madam Mao - allowed to be staged.
The choice partially reflects the selected audience during the trial period. According to the domestic media, the organizers will invite communist party cadres, construction workers and people whose homes were demolished to make space for the theatre development.
Three vast theaters are encased within the "tear drop" outer shell , which is made of titanium and glass, Built at a cost of 2.7 billion yuan (£180m), the building is surrounded by water and looks as if it has no entrance. With state-of-the-art equipment, its 2,416-seat opera house, 2,017-seat concert hall, and 1,040-seat theatre are expected to draw the world's best orchestras, operas and musicals, as well as domestic productions.
Other shows during the trial period include Swan Lake by the National Ballet of China, Sister Jiang by the Shanghai Opera House, and The Peony Pavilion by the Imperial Granary, a Beijing-based theatre group.
The complex will open to the public by the end of this year. Earlier this week, Cameron Mackintosh announced that a Mandarin language version of Les Miserables will be performed there next autumn.
The Red Detachment of Women ballet is one of seven shows that will be put on during a trial of the silver, egg-shaped building designed by the French architect Paul Andreu.
In keeping with the controversy that has surrounded the siting of such a futuristic structure so close to The Forbidden City, the Red Detachment was conceived in 1964 as a challenge to traditional notions of ballet. It is a propaganda tale of a young peasant girl who joins the People's Liberation Army after being rescued from slavery. The ballerinas wear military uniforms, clench their firsts, fight with swords and dance through cannon fire.
During the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, it was one of only eight shows that Jiang Qing - better known in the west as Madam Mao - allowed to be staged.
The choice partially reflects the selected audience during the trial period. According to the domestic media, the organizers will invite communist party cadres, construction workers and people whose homes were demolished to make space for the theatre development.
Three vast theaters are encased within the "tear drop" outer shell , which is made of titanium and glass, Built at a cost of 2.7 billion yuan (£180m), the building is surrounded by water and looks as if it has no entrance. With state-of-the-art equipment, its 2,416-seat opera house, 2,017-seat concert hall, and 1,040-seat theatre are expected to draw the world's best orchestras, operas and musicals, as well as domestic productions.
Other shows during the trial period include Swan Lake by the National Ballet of China, Sister Jiang by the Shanghai Opera House, and The Peony Pavilion by the Imperial Granary, a Beijing-based theatre group.
The complex will open to the public by the end of this year. Earlier this week, Cameron Mackintosh announced that a Mandarin language version of Les Miserables will be performed there next autumn.
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