Presenter: National Ballet of China

The only Chinese national ballet, the National Ballet of China (NBC) was founded on the 31st of December 1959. Originally known as the Experimental Ballet Company of the Beijing Dance School, “the cradle of dancers”, it quickly grew under the influence of numerous Russian masters. Over the past forty-five years, the company has attached great importance to the exploration and the accumulation of ballet knowledge. Today the NBC has an extensive repertoire and has successfully trained many generations of outstanding artists. This winning combination has attracted the attention and praise of the international world of ballet. At present, the NBC has over eighty professional ballet dancers, teachers and regisseurs. Many of its dancers have won gold, silver and bronze medals at major international ballet competitions.

Continuing its education through cultural exchange, the NBC has worked with a variety of foreign ballet masters and choreographers, including renowned artists Anton Dolin and Rudolf Nureyev, to stage classical ballet works including Pas de Quatre, Variations for Four, Don Quixote, La Sylphide of the Bournonville School, Sleeping Beauty, Ben Stevenson’s Fountain of Tears, Lycette Darsonval’s Sylvia from the Paris Opera Ballet. Inclusive are also Balanchine’s Neo-Classical ballets, including Serenade, and other contemporary works such as Rudy Van Dantzig’s The Four Last Songs. Over the last ten years, Director Zhao Ruheng and all members of the NBC have been inspired by the spirit of the company‘s slogan, “Struggle arduously, keep united and down to earth.” They have been diligently contributing to realizing their goal of “Expansion and furtherance of the art of ballet” through numerous performances and collaborations.

Since the first day it was founded, the National Ballet of China has never stopped receiving generous support from the Chinese government and from its older generation of performance artists. Foremost amongst these supporters are Dai Ailian and Bai Shuxiang. Throughout the NBC’s career and to much international acclaim, the Ballet has toured more than thirty countries around the world including Britain, America, Russia, France, Demark and Italy. The NBC has brought Chinese ballet into the limelight and garnered the praise that it well deserves from the international ballet world.

Remarks: Tickets for Ballet Concert by China National Ballet are available now!