A dance show entitled “The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting” was staged at the Spring Festival Gala on January 31. As a salute to the masterpiece painting “A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers” by Wang Ximeng (1096-1119), a genius painter from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the show proved an instant hit.
The dance has since made the headlines for the captivating resemblance of a Chinese natural landscape. The unique colors of azurite blue and malachite green from precious minerals render an extravagance for Chinese artists as ultramarine blue was for Renaissance oil painters in the West. One such painting was an 11.9-meter-long scroll known as “A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers”, projected on screens above and behind the dancers. Any snapshot of any section of this painting will be your dream screensaver. As the painting was unfolded inch by inch, the audience is guided into the inner world of the ancient painter, getting an immersive experience to better appreciate the work and establish a sentimental bond between the ancient cultural relic and modern-day people.
The dance show has set a new aesthetic standard, and the costumes, makeup, headwear, lighting, stage setting, stage design and the music together skillfully revive the painting “A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers”. Since last September, the dance show has been on a nationwide tour in 18 cities across the country.
Translated by 张宇星