There is an old saying that goes: "Where there are Chinese, there is Cantonese music; when the Cantonese music plays, it evokes Chinese nostalgia".

The dance drama Dragon Boat Racing, which blends traditional Cantonese music and history, was staged at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York last night.

Considered as one of the three major art treasures of southern China, Cantonese music is one of the most influential and widespread forms of art among overseas Chinese.

Originated and proliferated in the Pear River Delta, Cantonese music can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). Its light, soft, colorful, meticulous, yet powerful style is called the Lingnan sound.

Set in 1930s China against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation, the drama follows two lovers whose passion for each other is equaled only by their passion for Cantonese music. It tells the story of how one of the finest and most famous Cantonese compositions comes to be, and how it becomes a musical anthem that inspires the entire nation.

The epic production is by two young female directors born in 1980s - Zhou Liya and Han Zhen - who put great effort into the show and have won acclaim from the theater world.

"Through this dance drama, we want to demonstrate our young generation's artistic outlook, social outlook and can-do attitude to the audience," said Zhou.

The production, which was premiered in China in 2014, has been performed 52 times with an average of more than 90 percent audience capacity.

Like previous performances, the drama's American debut was staged by the 60-year-old Guangdong Song & Dance Ensemble, one of the most distinguished art companies in Guangdong province. Forty-five of their dancers joined the ensemble for the performance.

"New York is the first stop on our overseas tour and we hope more foreigners get to know China's national culture, music and spirit through this high quality production," said Xiong Jian, director of the Guangdong Song & Dance Ensemble, at a press conference before Thursday's debut at Lincoln Center.

The drama will be running through Sunday, Jan 10 at Lincoln Center with four performances only.

The production is part of Chinese Arts and Entertainment Group's Image China cultural exchange initiative, which aims to introduce traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts to audiences around the world.

Since its inception in 2009, Image China has presented shows at venues across the globe, including the Kennedy Center in Washington and on stages in Australia and throughout Europe. The major productions include the dance dramas The Peony Pavilion, Silk Road and Qingming Riverside.

Dragon Boat Racing is the fifth dance drama production that Image China has presented in the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com