'Fire of Anatolia' lights up Beijing stage

A colorful and exciting show is bringing major holiday cheer to the Chinese capital. "Fire of Anatolia", an acclaimed dance drama from Turkey, has begun a four day run at the National Center for the Performing Arts. CCTV reporter Song Yaotian was in the audience to marvel at the superior dance skills of these Turkish dancers.

Belly dance, the Caucasian dance, and drum dancing. Turkey is celebrated for its various dance traditions. This drama fuses all these dance styles into one tale, which tells of good and evil, and war and peace.

The energetic dance piece was choreographed by Turkish artist Mustafa Erdogan, who, after watching Ireland's Riverdance, decided to create a similar dance drama but telling his country's own story. His creation turned out to be hugely successful, earning two Guinness records, one for fastest dance performance with 241 steps per minutes, and another for biggest single performance audience, 400,000 in an outdoor theater in Turkey.

Saniye Sinem Guren, the lead of the belly dance, who just performed with her colleagues at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala several days ago, says she is no newcomer to Beijing.

While belly dancing exhibits the charming beauty of young Turkish women, the Caucasian dance performed by young lads presents the strength, vitality and agility of young men there. The dance, frequently using toes and knees, is very unique in style. The demanding movements were truly spectacular.

Teimuraz Tsikhiseli, dancer, said, "Of course there's pain and injuries, but you should get used to it. You do more practice then you do it correctly. It's OK, but you should be very careful."

This group of dancers has given over 600 performances globally, reaching an audience of 50 million. Wherever they go, they bring their history, culture and art. Their performance will run in the theater until Friday.

Song Yaotian, Beijing, said, "The Fire of Anatolia warms the main stage of NCPA with their flashing colors and exciting movement. It's a highlight of Beijing's stage shows during the holiday. The segment they performed at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala was very well received. The intriguing dance drama is a great show to catch this season. "