Staging a dance, dance revolution

Dance drama Jinggang, Jinggang about PLA's early history premiered at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

An original dance drama will mark the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army's founding.

Jinggang, Jinggang premiered at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Oct 10. It was choreographed by Beijing Dance Academy's president, Guo Lei, and performed by the academy's dance troupe.

The plot focuses on the PLA's early history, especially in the rural revolutionary base in Jiangxi province's Jinggang Mountains that Mao Zedong established in 1927. The site is considered the "birthplace of the Chinese Red Army"－the PLA's predecessor－and the "cradle of the Chinese revolution".

The six-chapter drama starts with a girl reading the letter left by her parents, who were Red Army soldiers. It portrays not only war scenes and soldiers' struggles but also Jiangxi's folk culture. It blends local music and dance styles with symphonic music, for instance.

"It took us a year to collect local materials about Jiangxi," says Guo, who led the team to Jiangxi to visit revolutionary sites and learn more stories about the Jianggang Mountains.

The choreographer adapted the rhythm of Jiangxi's tea leaf-picking operas, a folk art form, to reflect the regional style.