The world's Group of 20 leaders for the 11th G20 Summit in Hangzhou received quite an opening gala performance on Sunday evening. The symphony concert and gala on water was 'Yin and Yang' - combining classic Chinese characteristics with Western elements through an integration of both Eastern and Western art forms. We now hear what the genius minds behind the grand spectacle have to say about it.
A grand symphony concert and gala on water, something that has never been done before.
Yet, for the gala producer Sha Xiaolan, the unpredictable weather can make or break an open-air show.
Artists perform during an evening gala for the G20 summit at the West Lake scenic zone in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 4, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Jianhua)
'About four hours before the show, there was a heavy rain in Hangzhou. We thought about putting up a shelter over the orchestra, but it took over 8 hours to assmeble and we have to make the decision fast. But After I discussed with Zhang, our general director, we agreed that it would affect the final show. So we took a risk of not assembling the roof,' Sha said.
One of the climactic moment of the night, a reinterpretation of classic ballet 'Swan Lake'.
For director Zhang Yimou, it's the perfect opportunity to blend the classic with modern technology.
'I think it's the first time for the ballet classic Swan Lake to be staged literally on water, on one of the most famous lake in China, with all that history behind it. And the real questions is how to make it stand out from other versions. We used to joke about it, saying we have to at least make Putin grin at the show,' said director Zhang.
Adopts new technologies and universal language
'We've done a lot of preparation like putting on non-slit mat on the floor. And I believe it's the first time that anyone had attempted to dance ballet in water,' Sha said.
'It's not just the dance choreography that we have to think about, but also how to use high-tech to make our vision come true. Like the use of hologramme really add to the peice's mysterious and dreamy feel where reality and illusion blend together. The gala is unique in a way that it showcases our culture. Just like this year's G20 Summit, this Gala serves to bridge differences between cultures, and for people to reach common ground,' said director Zhang.
联系客服
