The Esplanade Theatre recently played host to the Singapore premiere of the National Ballet of China’s adaptation of 《红楼梦》A Dream of Red Mansions. The production, which ran from 12 to 15 March, brought one of China’s best known literary classics to the stage, interpreting Cao Xueqin’s epic novel through the physical language of classical ballet.
National Ballet of China, building on a legacy of over six decades, undertook the ambitious task of distilling the sprawling 18th century novel into a two act performance.
The narrative wisely chooses to follow the emotional and spiritual journey of Jia Baoyu, tracing his romantic entanglements with Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai against the backdrop of the powerful Jia family’s decline. Rather than getting lost in complex plotlines, the ballet focuses on iconic scenes and emotional cores, such as the tender “Baoyu and Daiyu reading together” and the hauntingly beautiful “Daiyu Burying Flowers”.
This approach allows the choreography to become the primary vehicle for storytelling, with every gesture and lift designed to convey the characters’ inner worlds.
Under the direction of choreographer Tong Ruirui, the ballet successfully fuses the precision of Western classical technique with the lyrical essence of Chinese aesthetics.
The dancers, led by Qiu Yunting as Lin Daiyu and Li Wentao as Jia Baoyu, delivered top-notch performances with technical polish and emotional depth. Even for a non ballet expert like me, the presentation was graceful and elegant, suffice to keep your eyes glued to the stage.
Visually, the production led by Executive Director and Producer Feng Ying is a carefully constructed world.
The set design, inspired by the minimalist aesthetics of Suzhou gardens, uses a massive rotating backdrop to shift seamlessly between the earthly realm and dreamlike sequences.
The costumes are rich with detail and texture, their flowing lines and vibrant colours enhancing the dancers’ movements and rooting the performance in a specific cultural context.
For Singapore audiences, the show offers a rare opportunity to witness a large scale Chinese ballet production by one of the China’s leading dance companies. While the narrative’s emotional subtleties and symbolic storytelling may require attentive viewing, the production’s striking visuals, expressive choreography and cultural significance make it easily accessible to general audience as well.
