'River Dance 2' to stage world premiere in Beijing

Stage photo of "River Dance 2"

Stage photo of "River Dance 2"

The new version of "Irish River Dance 2 -- Heartbeat of Home" will celebrate its world premiere in Beijing from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, Beijing Evening News reported on Tuesday.

Zhang Ligang, in charge of the performance, announced the show would be staged at the open-air Capital Workers' Stadium, which features 24 large stands capable of accommodating more than 70,000 people.

Zhang, CEO of Acrosschina Management Co., who has brought the original "River Dance" show to China several times, said it would greatly differ from previous theater versions, adding, "it will become a legend that cannot be copied."

He continued, "Working with a veteran show team is a learning process and a way to join the mainstream of the world art market."

Moya Doherty, the show's producer, said that since its first visit to China in 1999, the "River Dance" team has toured China five times, across a total of 26 Chinese cities. By next year, this figure should come to an overall 50.

The rapid development of the Chinese cultural market is the main reason that Beijing was chosen for the premiere of "River Dance 2," Doherty said.

The show's director John McColgan said that the new version not only featured dance and music, but also embodied a fusion of international manufacturing art, and would be more modern, more powerful and better able to meet audience expectations and aesthetic sense.

The "River Dance 2" dancers hail from all corners of the world and its accompanying band includes traditional Irish bagpipes, fiddles, brass, drums, pop music electro bass and Spanish guitar, fully embodying trans-cultural characteristics, he added.

According to the plan, the new version of "River Dance 2 -- Heartbeat of Home" will also be staged in Shanghai on December 6 and 7.

Since its debut in 1994, "River Dance" has toured the world with more than 12,000 shows, reaching box office revenues of US$1.7 billion. It is one of the most successful productions in the history of musical. On July 22, 2012, a new Guinness World Record was set when a total of 1,700 people from 44 countries kicked up their heels on the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin, capital of Ireland, to create the longest River Dance ever.