Dance drama "Awakening Lion", named the best dance drama by the most prominent dance award in China – the China Dance Lotus Awards, was featured at the opening ceremony of the 13th National Dance Exhibition in Guangzhou on the evening of October 21.

Stage photo of the "Awakening Lion" (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

In order to perfect the quality of this award-winning program, some experts watched the performance of "Awakening Lion" on October 20, and held a revision seminar to share their insights on the morning of October 21.

"Awakening Lion", a dance drama created by the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater, tells the story of A Xing and Long Shao, who are rivals in a lion dance competition. When war strikes, the death of Feng Er, the heroine, makes them work together to protect their homeland.

Stage photo of the "Awakening Lion" (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)

During the seminar, the main creators of the drama and experts discussed the previous day's performance. According to Shi Qianjin, president of Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater, the performing style and set designs of the show have been improved compared with the original version. The theatre also invited a Chinese martial arts champion to teach the actors Nan Quan (Southern Style Boxing) and lion dance.

Xu Bin, an invited expert, said that Nan Quan, lion dance and tea culture were all presented in the dance drama, which could be regarded as a representative work of Lingnan culture.

According to Liu Yuqin, the plot of the dance drama is well designed, with conflicts between individuals, families and nations. "It integrates various art forms, including lion dance and bench dance, which embodies Guangzhou's local intangible cultural heritage", she said.

In addition, these experts also proposed their suggestions. Chen Feihua said that the stage setting and lighting needed to be further improved, and in the scene where the heroine's death awakens the crowd, the dancers' mood changes should be more distinct.

Song Guanlin indicated that the logic of the plot should be clearer, such as the relationship between Long smoking less opium and winning the lion dance competition, and when the lion wakes up.

What's more, Ji Guoping pointed out that didactic words should not appear in this dance drama, which was not consistent with the style of the dance drama. "It will disinterest the audience", said Ji.

Thanks to the experts' advice, "Awakening Lion" was further improved and successfully performed on the night of October 21.

Author | Holly

Editor | Monica, Jerry