October 2005 2005 Next Wave Festival Mary Heilmann, Last Chance for Gas Study (delail), 2005 BAM 2005 Next Wave Festival is sponsored by: The PerformingNeonEArts Magazine Altria 2005 ~ext Wave FeslliLaL Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman William I. Campbell Chairman of the Board Vice Chairman of the Board Karen Brooks Hopkins Joseph V. Melillo President Executive Producer presents Raise the Red Lantern Approxi mate BAM Howard Gilman Opera House running time: Oct 11-15, 2005 at 7:30pm 2 hours, one interm ission National Ballet of China Directed by Zhang Yimou Composed by Chen Qigang Choreographed by Wang Xinpeng and Wang Yuanyuan Stage design by Zeng Li Costume design by Jerome Kaplan Lighting design by Zhang Yimou Producer Zhao Ruheng World Premiere: May 2, 2001, Beijing By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Sole Agent in the US, Canada and Mexico, for Durand S.A. Editions Musicales, a BMG Editions Company, publisher and copyright owner. BAM 2005 Next Wave Festival is sponsored by Altria Group, Inc. Raise the Red Lantern is part of Diverse Voices at BAM presented by Time Warner, Inc. Delta Air Lines is the official airline for BAM Dance, which also receives major support from The Harkness Foundation for Dance. Additional BAM Dance support is provided by the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Mary L. Griggs & Mary Griggs Burke Foundation, and Capezio/Ba//et Makers Dance Foundation. Additional support for Raise the Red Lantern is provided by the Asian Cultural Council. Support for the opening night reception is provided by Partnership for New York City and Independence Community Bank. Artistic Director Zhao Ruheng Principals Zhu Van - Zhang Jian - Wang Qimin - Meng Ningning Sun Jie - Li Jun - Yu Bo Soloists Jin Jia - Wang Qi Huang Zhen - Hou Qingfeng - Yang Lei - Zhou Zhaohui - Hao Bin Coryphees Lu Na - Wen Fang - Hu Tiantian - Zhang Man - Ma Yini Deng Mi - Wang Yitong - Li Yiran Wu Van - Jiang Wei - Li Ke - Zhang Xiangyuan Wang Hao - Cui Kai - Li Nan - Hu Dayong Corps de Ballet Zhou Wen - Song Xiaoxiao - Wang Lei - Wu Shuming Suo Pei - Yang Chunhui - Yang Zi - Li Jing - Liu Yang - Shang Jiaojiao Liu Qi - Wang Bingjie - Yu Yang - Wang Ye Hou Pengfei - Wang Wei - Zhang Kai - Chen Xi - Du Jichao Li Ming - Ji Mo - Liu Shi - Wang Hongbo Peking Opera Performers Zhang Yi - Yu Lei - Gao Chen - Yin Songtao Musicians Li Jinping (drums) - Xu Jinzhong (large gong) Guo Yi (small gong) - Wang Qingrong (large gong) The National Ballet of China's international travel and shipping is courtesy of the JF Kennedy Festival of China and the Chinese Ministry of Culture Casting-Raise the Red Lantern (subject to change) Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 13 Oct 14 Oct 15 Second concubine Zhu Yan Zhang Jian Wang Qimin Zhu Yan Wang Qimin First concubine Meng Ningning Jin Jia Ming Ningning Meng Ningning Zhu Yan Peki ng opera actor Sun Jie Hou Qingfeng Li Jun Sun Jie Li Jun Master Huang Zhen Yang Lei Yang Lei Huang Zhen Huang Zhen Wife Jin Jia Lu Na Lu Na Jin Jia Jin Jia Synop~si~s _ Prologue Act III 1930s, China. In a quiet courtyard a young girl is The two lovers continue their love affair in secret. forced into a bridal palanquin. She is going to be The first concubine tells the master about their the second concubine of the Master of the house. affair. The master catches the two lovers who Before getting into the palanquin, she remembers bravely confess without hesitation. The first concu­ her childhood lover-a young actor from a Peking bine tries to use this occasion to renew her favor Opera group (Xi Ban). with the master. However, she receives a heavy slap on the face from the master instead. Driven Act I by depression, she grabs the lighting stick, which In the happy and joyful atmosphere of the wed­ symbolizes the master's power over his household ding, the wife and the first concubine welcome the and lights all the red lanterns hanging in her yard. second concu bi ne of the master of the house into With great fury, the master orders his minions to the family, with complex emotional undertones. execute the first concubine who dares to break his The night of the wedding, despite her desperate house law. resistance, the bride is finally overcome by her tragic desti ny. Epilogue The two lovers and the first concubine are taken Act II to the execution ground. Facing death, they forget The master passes ti me with his wives by watch­ their hostilities, and reconcile with each other. In ing Peking Operas and playing mah-jongg. The tolerance and affection, they embrace. Feudalism second concubine sneaks out for a while to meet strangles their young lives and beautiful love. her former lover. But their secret is discovered by the first concubine who has ulterior motives. Who's Wb o _ The National Ballet of China (NBC), the only Chi­ the NBC has over 80 professional ballet dancers, nese national ballet, was founded on December teachers, and regisseurs. Many of its dancers 31, 1959. Originally known as the Experimental have won gold, silver, and bronze medals at major Ballet Company of the Beijing Dance School-lithe international ballet competitions. cradle of dancers"-it quickly grew under the influence of numerous Russian masters. During its The NBC's artistic mission is twofold: firstly, to formative years from 1954 to 1963, Pyotr Gusev introduce Chinese audiences to Western classi- and other Russian artists brought the Ballet train­ cal ballets and contemporary ballet works and ing typical of the Russian School and assimilated secondly, to explore the unique fusion possible it into the Chinese training program. In collabo­ between classical ballet and Chinese culture. This ration, the Russians and Chinese successfully fusion was achieved by choreographing and creat­ staged a number of classical ballets including ing its own ballets. The NBC's repertoire includes Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, and Giselle from 1958 many such fusion Chinese ballets, which repre­ to 1960. This first generation of Chinese classical sent Chinese characteristics-The Red Detach­ ballet dancers and other artists would go on to ment of Women, Ode to the Yimeng Mountains, help build the company's classical ballet repertoire The Son and Daughter of the Grassland, The and lay a solid foundation for the development New Year's Sacrifice, Lin Daiyu, The Yellow River, of the National Ballet of China. Over the past 45 Butterfly Lovers, The Nutcracker, and Raise the years, the company has attached great impor­ Red Lantern. A number of other contemporary tance to the exploration and the accumulation of ballets have won international acclaim, such as ballet knowledge. Today the NBC has an extensive Coppelia, Fate, Rainbow of the Night, The Chair­ repertoire and has successfully trained many man Dances, Rite of Spring, and Swan Lake (new generations of outstanding artists. This winning version). Each of these ballets is an exploration of combination has attracted the attention and praise the blending between Chinese culture and history of the international world of ballet. At present, with more classical Western elements. Who's Wb~o _ Continuing its education through cultural Red Sorghum, a tragic tale revolving around an exchange, the NBC has worked with a variety arranged marriage, which immediately garnered of foreign ballet masters and choreographers, him much attention in China and abroad. Since including renowned artists Anton Dolin and Rudolf then he has directed the films Operation Cougar Nureyev, to stage classical ballet works including Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, The Story of Qiu Pas de Quatre, Variations for Four, Don Quixote, Ju, To Live, Keep Cool, Shanghai Triad, Not 0n.e La Sylphide of the Bournonville School, Sleeping Less, The Road Home, Happy Times, Hero, and Beauty, Ben Stevenson's Fountain of Tears, and House of Flying Daggers. His films have won him Lycette Darsonval's Sylvia from the Paris Opera international praise at festivals in the U.S., Japan, Ballet. Included are also George Balanchine's Germany, Australia, Belgium, France, and Italy, Neo-Classical ballets, including Serenade, and among other countries. He is the first Chinese ever other contemporary works such as Rudy van to be nominated for an Academy Award; it was for Dantzig's The Four Last Songs. Over the last ten Ju Dou as Best Foreign Film at the 63rd Annual years, Director Zhao Ruheng and all members of Academy Awards in 1991. He received nomina­ the NBC have been inspired by the spirit of the tions again for Raise the Red Lantern and Hero. company's slogan, "Struggle arduously, keep unit­ Raise the Red Lantern went on to receive the ed and down to earth." They have been diligently "best foreign film" award from the British Acad­ contributing toward their goal of "expansion and emy Awards and the New York Critics Circle. For furtherance of the art of ballet" through numerous live performance, Zhang has directed the opera performances and collaborations. Turandot and created a ballet version of Raise the Red Lantern. Currently, Zhang has just finished The company is further enhanced by the reputa­ production of Lonely Ride over a Long Distance tion of its orchestra. The National Ballet of China and preparing for his next film, a musical entitled Symphony Orchestra consists of 60 classically Impression Lijiang. trained musicians and is the only orchestra in China to specialize in ballet accompaniment. Zhao Ruheng (producer and supervisor), execu­ Also in-house is NBC's experienced house stage tive director and artistic director of the National production team that make all of the exquisite Ballet of China, began her career with the com­ costumes, scenery, props, head-dresses, and pany as a dancer in 1961, after graduating with ballet shoes.