Chinese original dance drama Wing Chun staged in Paris

The original dance drama Wing Chun from south China's Shenzhen City was staged at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France on October 4.

With three more performances to come in the following two days, the dance drama reaped loud applause from the audiences on its very first performance.

Created and staged by Shenzhen Opera & Dance Theatre, the dance drama is based on the national intangible cultural heritage of Wing Chun, a concept-based traditional southern Chinese Kung Fu style and Xiangyunsha (Gambiered Canton Gauze), combining traditional Chinese martial art of Wing Chun and dance and telling the growth story of the martial arts master Ye Wen from Guangdong's Foshan to Hong Kong.

Since its debut in Shenzhen in December 2022, the dance drama has embarked on a global tour in cities such as London, Macao, and Paris. Up to now, over 200 performances have been staged.

The Times praised the dance drama for seamlessly blending dance and martial arts, creating an unforgettable cultural experience. Besides, The Guardian gave Wing Chun a high rating of four stars.

Wing Chun not only tells a Chinese story but also showcases Chinese art, therefore resonating with the audience, commented Farooq Chaudhry, a renowned dance producer.

According to Flora Boumia, a French media liaison officer, the dance drama shows the vitality of modern China through traditional Chinese culture, and allows the audiences to see the profound cultural heritage and pursuit of Shenzhen.

"This is such a memorable performance, with a perfect blend of storyline, acting, and orchestral music," said a French audience of its first performance in Paris. It is learned that the dance drama will continue its global tour to further promote international cultural exchanges and cooperation.

Shenzhen, as an essential part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and an international high-tech and financial center, is at the cutting edge of cultural exchanges. Shenzhen has been constantly making its efforts to create unique cultural experience for people around the world not only by holding concerts, exhibitions, sports events and other festival activities in the city, but also introducing its cultural and tourism products abroad.

(Edited by Yang Linlin, linlinyanglyn@163.com)