Photo: Courtesy of China Oriental Performing Arts Group

The poetry-inspired dance performance A Mere Touch of Green-A Choreographed Portrait of A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers made its debut at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday. This production, based on the renowned Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) masterpiece painting A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, is set to embark on a four-day show tour in Istanbul.

This event represents the show's 65th city and 545th performance on its tour, following its success in Singapore in March 2024. The dance show chose Turkey, a crossroads between Europe and Asia and often dubbed the cradle of civilizations, to showcase and bridge the cultural heritage between East and West, promoting China's rich cultural heritage to the global stage.

The centerpiece of the show, the painting A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains created by 18-year-old Wang Ximeng, is one of China's top ten classic paintings. Using the painting as the backdrop, the dance show uses the main color of the painting - green - as a visual clue to explore the craftsmanship behind the artwork, such as seals, silk, pigments, brushes and ink, aiming to showcase and delve into multiple traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage techniques.

Comprising seven chapters, the show employs a narrative structure that intertwines time and space, vividly portraying the colors of the painting, the craftsmanship of countless artisans, and the generational guardianship of cultural relics.

Meanwhile, the dance show integrates choreography, painting, music, and literature, conveying the timeless allure of Chinese traditional culture. Through precise dance movements such as yunshou, a basic dance move in traditional Chinese dances and operas, and "water sleeves", a special sleeve used in Chinese traditional opera costumes, dancers blend the grace of classical dance with the essence of landscape painting. 

Photo: Courtesy of China Oriental Performing Arts Group

According to the CCTV reports, a Turkish member of the audience, Betul Tulan, described the show as "stunning" after watching the performance, adding that given the surreal nature of the show,  it was difficult to distinguish dream from reality and the actors, stage design and technology were all breathtakingly beautiful. "I felt very fortunate to have witnessed such a masterpiece," she said.

Since its first debut in 2021, A Mere Touch of Green has garnered widespread acclaim worldwide, becoming a beacon of contemporary audiences' engagement with traditional Chinese culture.

"The dance show reflects Chinese aesthetics and revitalizes the essence of traditional Chinese culture. We aim to deepen Turkish audiences' understanding of China and its excellent traditional culture through this production, thereby offering insights into contemporary China," said Jing Xiaoyong, chairman of the China Oriental Performing Arts Group.

This performance marked the second stop on the dance show's global tour in 2024, with performances scheduled in more countries. It will continue its journey of bringing China's excellent traditional culture to the world.

Global Times