Swan lake mans up (2)

Bourne's choreography is especially important for male dancers.

"It gives the center stage to the best of them - men with excellent dancing techniques and deep emotions," modern Chinese dancer Jin Xing says.

In traditional ballet productions, male dancers often merely accompany and support female colleagues.

"This time, all the male dancers are heroes," she says.

Jin was China's first transgender dancer and became known all over China for her talent more than 10 years ago.

"The idea of a male swan makes complete sense to me," Bourne says.

"The strength, the beauty, the enormous wingspan of these creatures suggests to me the musculature of a male dancer more readily than a ballerina in her white tutu."

He used to spend hours watching swans in parks. Hitchcock's film The Birds influenced him, too.

"Matthew showed extreme respect for Tchaikovsky's music," Jin says.

"He didn't break it to pieces and re-assemble those into something else but created a different story line to fit it in, a subject that's still sensitive for Chinese society."

The emotional entanglements between the prince and lead swan impressed Jin.

"An artwork that brings more attention to gay issues is worth lots of recognition. It marks social progress."

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn

IF YOU GO

Shanghai Culture Square

597 Fuxing Zhonglu (Middle Road), Shanghai.

2 pm, 7:30 pm, Sept 25-Oct 5.

021-6472-6000.

Night shows: 150-880 yuan ($24-128); matinees 80-800 yuan.