Life and Leisure

Russian touch for red ribbon dance

By Chen Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-27 16:13

In 1957, when 18-year-old Bai Shuxiang went to Moscow to participate in the World Festival of Youth and Students, she was awe-struck to see the Russian Moiseyev Dance Company putting up a better show of the Chinese red ribbon dance than even the Chinese dancers.

"While they had learned the basic movements from us, they had created many sophisticated jumps, twirls and leaps," the first Chinese ballerina to perform Odetta in Swan Lake told China Daily.

On probing further, she learned that the choreography brain behind the dance was that of Igor Moiseyev (1906-2007), founder and artistic director of the company.

While touring Beijing with the company in 1954, he had not only watched some Chinese dances, but also created one based on the popular Chinese Peking Opera The Crossroads (Sanchakou).

"Sanchakou is famous for its acrobatics and Moiseyev's choreography captured it well," Bai says.

From Oct 1 to 3, you can enjoy the Moiseyev version of the red ribbon dance at the Poly Theater.

This is the company's fourth appearance in Beijing. According to critic Ou Jianping, who has seen their performances in 2000 and 2003, "Moiseyev is a genuine innovator. He is a genius at capturing the essence of folk forms, combining those from his own country with those from abroad."

The Ukraine-born choreographer's early interest in theater and dance may have been sparked by his seamstress mother, who once made costumes for the Theater Chatelet in Paris, where the family lived for seven years.

After the family moved back to Ukraine, he attended numerous village festivals, fairs and dances and loved all that he saw.

Moiseyev began his ballet training in Moscow at age 12. Two years later, he was one of only two, out of 100 applicants, to be chosen to attend the Bolshoi School of Choreography.

After graduation at 18, Moiseyev joined the Bolshoi Ballet, and soon rose to become principal dancer. But it was choreography that was his passion. He created new productions for the Bolshoi which dazzled with their inventiveness.

During this period Moiseyev traveled throughout the former Soviet Union, immersing himself in the study of Russian songs, dances, customs, traditions and festivals, establishing a reputation for himself as a scholar of Russian folklore.

In 1936, he was appointed Ballet Master at the Bolshoi Theater. Shortly after, he was asked by the then Soviet government to organize the first Festival of National Dance. Its success convinced Moiseyev that founding a professional company would help preserve and develop the best traditions of folk dancing.

In 1937, he formed the company by gathering together some 40 amateur dancers, besides a handful of professionals from the Bolshoi and other established companies.

Within a few years, Moiseyev had molded the ensemble into a big company of 100 dancers. They toured throughout the former Soviet Union and after 1954, began to tour the world.

Their ever-growing repertoire includes dances of Spain, Japan, China, Bulgaria, Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Hungary and even American jazz and rock'n'roll.

The company will also perform its trademark programs in Beijing such as Russian Dance Summer, Kalmuk, Greek Suite Sirtaki, and Moldavian Dance.

China Daily