Song of Everlasting Regret is a ballet adaptation of a Bai Juyi poem from the 9th century and it is produced by Shanghai Grand Theatre and Shanghai Ballet.

CSIAF has also made constant efforts to introduce these artists and their work to the international market through the annual performing arts fair held during CSIAF. The fair is a week-long event taking place from Oct 16 to 21 at the Intercontinental Hotel Puxi. Here, groups, institutions, promoters and agencies get to introduce their own shows and find potential projects to take on tour.

Over the years, new artists have gained greater exposure and success through this initiative. Qiu Jirong and Gong Zhonghui, for example, were two dancers discovered by famed Chinese director and choreographer Yang. In Yang’s new production Ambush on All Sides, Qiu plays the leading dancer and executive choreographer, while Gong plays one of the main characters. Ambush on All Sides had four sold-out performances from Oct 16 to 18 at Shanghai Oriental Art Center and it received high praise from critics and the audiences alike. The play premiered in September in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, and toured Beijing, Chongqing and Hangzhou.

zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn