Inspired by the magnificent Dunhuang frescoes, the award-winning classical Chinese dance drama Silk Road is performed by Gansu Dance Theater. A tale of the friendship forged between the Chinese people and peoples of various countries along the Silk Road in the time of the Tang Dynasty, Silk Road follows master fresco painter Zhang, his daughter Yingniang, and Persian merchant Yunus.
The story was very interesting because it was extremely complicated without words. There was no speaking during the performance, everything was told through dance. I was impressed by the fact that each dance number was long enough to show the audience what was going on without dragging on the piece into an extensive interpretation. The show struck the delicate balance between keeping the audience engaged while still having a pretty lengthy show.
As a side note, I personally was amazed by the skill of the male dancers. It was natural to see the women in the show bending their bodies in incredible ways, but it was almost shocking to see what the men were capable of. However, everyone in the show was extremely talented. Each character had his or her own unique dance move to identify him or her which was often times a combination between ballet and a more traditional Chinese practice like acrobatics or kungfu. I loved this performance and would definitely see it again!
~Juile
