Chinese, Belgian dance artists to launch world tour

Chinese dance artist Yabin Wang will work with Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to launch a world tour of "Genesis," producers said Tuesday.

"Yabin and Her Friends" Season 5, named Genesis, will be performed in November in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and will be staged in major theaters in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Netherlands and Luxembourg in the following two years.

It is the first attempt of cooperation between a Chinese dancer and a world-renowned choreographer in choreography, production and performance.

With the theme of "the origin of creation and formation," Genesis uses the metaphoric description of a tree's growth to represent how the past, present and future - influenced by the uncertainties of passing time - evolve, recur and return, Wang said.

The work unveils the ever-lasting humanistic themes of the world on new and old, birth and death, love and hatred, and conveys aesthetic philosophical thoughts, she said.

"Genesis is an important creative cooperation, bringing together cultural practices of both countries," said Michel Malherbe, Belgian Ambassador to China. "I am very much looking forward to seeing the result."

Artists and institutions on both sides made concerted efforts to realize their collective ideas. Genesis proves that shared passion can transcend differences in language and culture, he said. "I think our future lies in this kind of exchanges as to better understand each other by seeing the world from different angles."

As an international celebrated artist who has over the past 10 years created about 20 dance works for famous ballet ensembles and theaters including Paris Opera Ballet, Danish Royal Ballet and Ballets de Monte Carlo, Cherkaoui attaches great importance in cooperating with Wang.

"I am not only amazed by her versatility as an accomplished young dancer, choreographer and producer, but I am also impressed by her creative ideas and unrelenting pursuit of arts," he said. "We are much like-minded in many aspects of dance and philosophy. This is the basis of our cooperation."

Genesis marks the fifth season of Yabin and Her Friends, following "Dancing with You" in 2009, "Pursuing" in 2010, "Expecting with Faith" in 2011, and "Yabin and Her Friends Three-year Anniversary Exhibition" in 2012, said Wang, who was also co-artistic director of Genesis and founder of Yabin Studio.

Genesis will debut its world tour at the National Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 14 and 15, Guangzhou Friendship Theater on Nov. 21 and 22 and Shanghai Oriental Art Center on Nov. 27 and 28.