by The Beijing Dance Academy Resident Dance Company
February 27 - 28, 2010
7:30pm
STG Presents The Legend of the Butterfly Lovers “梁祝” at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28, 2010. Hailed as China’s Romeo and Juliet, The Legend of the Butterfly Lovers is set in the Eastern Jin Dynasty of China (circa 265-420).
The legend of the Butterfly Lovers comes alive on stage in a stunning performance choreographed to China’s most famous violin concerto. See the famed Beijing Dance Academy Resident Dance Company in their first visit to Seattle.
This 90-minute show features China's best young talents in several classical Chinese dances that are rarely seen outside China including the breathtaking dance drama, the Butterfly Lovers. Hailed as China's Romeo and Juliet, this tragic love story of forbidden love has touched millions of hearts.
Zhu Yingtai is a beautiful and intelligent woman, the only daughter of the wealthy Zhu family in Zhejiang Province. Challenging traditions that prohibit females from attending schools, Zhu Yingtai convinces her father to allow her to disguise herself as a young man so she can travel to the city of Hangzhou to study. There, she meets a handsome young man named Liang Shanbo. They become best friends and spend most of their time together, sharing a love of learning and enjoying each other's company. Liang never suspects that his buddy is actually a woman.
Over the years, Zhu Yingtai realizes that she has fallen in love with her best friend, but cannot reveal her true identity to him. When they finish their studies, she comes up with a clever plan. She invites Liang to visit her residence so that she can introduce her sister to Liang. Many years passed before Liang finally arrives at Zhu Yingtai’s residence, only to find out that Zhu is a woman. They express their love and passion and vow to each other “till death do us apart.”
The joy of their reunion is short-lived as Zhu's father has arranged for her to marry a rich man. Liang is heart-broken upon hearing the news, and his health deteriorates until he is critically ill and dies. Upon hearing Liang’s death, Zhu Yingtai is heart-broken. But she can do nothing to stop the arrangements for her marriage to the rich man. On the day of her wedding, the skies grow stormy and the winds howl around the wedding procession as they reach the grave of Liang Shanbo. Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning strikes Liang’s grave and split it open. In a flash, Zhu throw herself into the grave so that she can be reunited with Liang forever.
Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai’s spirits turn into a pair of beautiful butterflies and emerge from the grave. They fly together as a pair and are never to be separated again.
The Beijing Dance Academy Resident Dance Company
The Beijing Dance Academy Resident Dance Company was founded in 1987, and has quickly established itself as a powerhouse in the Chinese dance scene. Beijing Dance Academy is the most prestigious dance academy in China (comparable to the Juilliard School’s dance program) and is constantly producing talented dancers to join the BDA Dance Company. Two thirds of the dancers from the company have won gold prizes in prestigious national contests such as the Lotus Cup, the Peach and Plum Cup and CCTV dance contests.
The dance style of the company is based on Chinese traditional classical dance and Chinese ethnic and folk dance, with contemporary influences. BDA has toured internationally to the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, Spain, Romania, Byelorussia, Japan, South and North Korea.
