China's Liaoning Ballet to debut new adaptation of Notre Dame de Paris

SHENYANG, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Liaoning Ballet Troupe, a top Chinese ballet ensemble, will premiere its new production "Notre Dame de Paris" on Saturday in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, which is set to captivate the audience with its unique interpretation of the timeless classic.

The ballet is based on Victor Hugo's novel, Notre Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Its ballet adaptations have graced the stages of numerous ballet companies worldwide over the course of more than a century.

This fresh rendition by Liaoning Ballet is a collaboration between the troupe and international luminaries. Its core creative team hails from Europe, including director Patrick de Bana from Germany.

De Bana, who has worked in China for many years, expressed profound delight at his first collaboration with Liaoning Ballet. "The pleasure I have working with the dancers in the studio is gigantic. Wonderful humans. Wonderful artists. Wonderful dancers. And we definitely connect well," he said.

The stage design of the production takes inspiration from French oil paintings, while the music score seamlessly blends elements from classical and modern genres, harmonizing with the overall aesthetic of the ballet.

This ballet features outstanding young performers from Liaoning Ballet. Zhang Haidong, who portrays the central character Quasimodo, acknowledged the challenges of depicting a physically-impaired character through ballet.

"Adapting my movements to mimic the unique physical traits of the character was a learning process, but I have grown more comfortable with it over time," said Zhang.

Although the role of Quasimodo has been played by various famous dancers around the world, the principal dancer of Liaoning Ballet remains unfazed by the expectations, as he is confident that the director will breathe new life into the role.

"I embarked on an exploration of Quasimodo's inner world through literature and then merged it with the director's vision to create my own interpretation of this complex character," Zhang explained.

Established in 1980, Liaoning Ballet has solidified its position as one of China's preeminent ballet troupes, with a repertoire that includes 18 classic ballet productions, such as "Swan Lake" and "Sleeping Beauty."

It has also created 17 original ballets, including Mulan and Iron Man. In 2019, the troupe took Mulan on a tour to the United States, Canada, Mauritius and other countries, winning wide acclaim among local audiences.

After staging two performances in Shenyang on Oct. 28-29, Liaoning Ballet will take the new production to Shanghai in late November and Beijing in December, according to the troupe.