Two years ago a video named Butterfly Lovers was posted on YouTube. Showing a Chinese cabaret, it featured a duet in which a ballerina danced on pointe on her partner's head. The clip raced through the dance community. There was amazement at the sheer jaw-drop factor, but also a certain disdain, because this appeared to be the ultimate expression of a world-wide tendency: that of extreme technique at the expense of artistry. The dancers were Wei Baohua and Wu Zhengdan of the Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe, and when it was announced that they were to perform their version of Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House, there were defensive whisperings. What weirdness was the beloved classic to be subjected to?
The whisperers needn't have worried. By the time that Wei's Prince appears on a camel, swaying past the pyramids as jewelled contortionists writhe on the desert sands, even the starchiest purist has been disarmed. Amazing turns unroll in quick succession, with the Little Swans replaced by four captivating frogs and a dazzling hat-dance by the corps de ballet ending in a cheeky series of fouettés. And somehow director Zhao Ming's entrancingly strange choreography makes a dream-like sense. Of course Wu Zhengdan's Swan Queen should dance along a high-wire, on pointe, pursued by monkeys. Of course the court of the evil wizard (Chen Dong) should be staffed by unicycling matadors. And of course, at the ballet's emotional and dramatic climax, Wu should dance on Wei's head. What's a partner for, after all?
· Ends Aug 10. Three extra dates have been scheduled for the Guangdong Troupe at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham,
Wed 13 - Sat 16
