Drama The Great Revenge presented by the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Photos Provided to China Daily

The Song of Everlasting Regret is a ballet adaptation of a narrative poem of the same title by Bai Juyi from the 9th century and it is produced by Shanghai Grand Theatre and Shanghai Ballet. The performance premiered at Shanghai Grand Theatre on July 31 and toured Beijing in August. The one on show at CSIAF is a revised edition.

Shanghai Ballet has taken great pride in its original creations such as White Haired Girl from the 1970s to Thunderstorm in the 1980s, as well as adaptations of modern Chinese author Lu Xun’s works. Director of Shanghai Ballet, Xin Lili, said that they have always strived to “tell Chinese stories on the world stage” and had engaged renowned artists such as French choreographer Patrick de Bana to infuse an international element to the troupe. De Bana had previously choreographed Jane Eyre — a production based on a novel by Charlotte Bronte — which was also jointly produced by Shanghai Grand Theatre.

“When we were touring Jane Eyre in Britain, local critics suggested we create a show featuring China’s own stories, and I assured them we were working on that, and would come back to show it to the British people,” said Zhang Zhe, director of Shanghai Grand Theatre.

“A few years ago, people might disagree if we claim Shanghai Ballet to be the best in the country, but now the dance troupe has developed a solid reputation not only in China, but also on the international stage. This has been achieved through constant communication with the rest of the world and by providing artists freedom of creativity,” he added.