“We name snake years ‘mini dragon’ years,” Tan YuanYuan, former principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, tells Observer. “Snakes are actual, in contrast to dragons, however they’re nonetheless highly effective creatures.”
Based on the Chinese language zodiac, 2025 is the 12 months of the Wooden Snake. In Chinese language tradition and mythology, snakes are related to transformation (shed that pores and skin!), development and renewal. We are actually midway by means of the 12 months, and what higher solution to pause and rejoice these formidable serpents than to expertise the worldwide premiere of Shanghai Grand Theatre’s dance drama Woman White Snake, with creative route by Tan, which lands on the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Middle this weekend.
Woman White Snake reimagines the thousand-year-old Legend of the White Snake, one in every of China’s 4 Nice Folktales, by means of a recent and feminist lens. The normal story is considerably like the unique The Little Mermaid, in that a fantastic supernatural creature turns into a lady to be with the mortal man she loves, however a villain intervenes and tragedy ensues. Themes of affection, loyalty and betrayal run by means of the legend, which has been the inspiration of many nice operas, films and performs. Woman White Snake is the primary main dance manufacturing to deal with it.
The story of Woman White Snake, written by Luo Zhou, differs from the unique in a number of methods. First, it’s set within the current day, with occasional dips right into a surreal, historic dreamscape. The characters are altered a bit, too. The White Snake is now “the Spouse” and is already married to “the Husband” (Xu Xian). The Inexperienced Snake, who’s often the White Snake’s sister, is now Xiao Qing—the Spouse’s alternate, youthful self. And Fa Hai, who’s often the nefarious monk, is now a psychologist bent on “curing” the Spouse. However maybe most significantly, on this new model, the Spouse/Woman White is concerned with greater than her everlasting love for her husband. On this model, she chooses to save lots of herself.
The manufacturing has been a very long time within the making. Tan was first approached by Shanghai Grand Theatre to guide the undertaking in 2018, with plans to start in 2020, however as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, the manufacturing was placed on maintain and wasn’t picked up once more till 2022. It had its well-received world premiere on the Shanghai Grand Theatre in November 2022, with Tan collaborating as each the creative director and dancing the position of the Spouse.
The artistic crew then made revisions to the manufacturing, together with bringing on a brand new choreographer (Wang Peixian, who has labored with world-renowned firms comparable to Martha Graham Dance Firm, Nederlands Dans Theater and Tao Dance Theater), and introduced this up to date model, which Tan known as “Woman White Snake 2.0,” in February 2025. It’s this model—with just some extra minor revisions—that may have its worldwide premiere in New York on July 26.
“In fact, nothing will be excellent,” Tan explains. “However as artists, we at all times wish to be higher. That’s the great thing about a efficiency on stage—you may at all times change it. We are able to maintain shaping it. Carving it, identical to a sculpture. Or like an oil portray, you may at all times add one thing on prime.”
The freshly carved manufacturing coming to Lincoln Middle, directed by Zhou Ke, is spectacular, with set design by Gao Guangjian, an unique recorded rating by Xu Zhong that includes a full orchestra and conventional Chinese language devices, lighting design by Xiao Lihe, video design by Feng Jiangzhou and costumes by designer Zhang Viola.
The 2 casts of 4 leads—hailing from Suzhou Ballet Theatre, Cincinnati Ballet, Shanghai Ballet and Béjart Ballet Lausanne—and twenty-nine dancers from the Shanghai Opera Home Dance Ensemble carry out a fusion of Jap and Western dance languages: ballet, Chinese language folks dance, Chinese language up to date dance, classical Chinese language dance and Kung Fu. “It’s sort of martial-artsy,” Tan says. She added that the dancers have loved working collectively and studying from one another. “The trendy dancers take ballet courses, and the ballet dancers ask, ‘How do you do that roll on the ground?’” She laughs. “As a result of we by no means often go on the ground.”
Tan is worked up to carry Woman White Snake to new audiences, particularly these with out a deep cultural information of the unique legend. She recommends studying the script in this system earlier than watching, however even those that don’t dive into the storyline will nonetheless be fascinated by the dance. The distinctive mix of motion is one thing most New Yorkers will doubtless have by no means seen and should by no means see once more.
“It’s been my privilege to work on this program because the starting as each a dancer and creative director,” Tan finishes. “I’m proud to carry this present to america and share this Chinese language fairytale and our lovely dancers with a global viewers.”
Woman White Snake involves the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Middle for 3 performances on July 26 at 1:30 p.m. and seven:30 p.m. and July 27 at 1:30 p.m.
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