Olympic choreographer performs on the 19th and the 20th

Chinese-born choreographer Shen Wei, who The New York Times has described as “startlingly imaginative”, will provide material for the opening and closing ceremonies of this summer’s Beijing Olympics. Before that, the multi-talented dancer, painter and designer, who also creates the sets and costumes for his work, will perform two pieces in Budapest at the Festival Theatre in the Palace of Arts.

Rite of Spring dates from 2002, and is performed by 12 dancers and set to the four-hand piano version of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring recorded by Fazil Say.

Folding, pictured, is danced before a blow up of a painting by the 18th-century Chinese artist Ba Da Shan Ren, to music by John Tavener and Tibetan Buddhist chants. The choreography was originally prepared for the Guangdong Modern Dance Company and it received its world premiere in 2000. The work presents encounters between traditional and futuristic, between East and West.

Shen Wei performs as part of the 8th Dance Forum organised by the National Dance Theatre at the Palace of Arts Festival Theatre on 19 and 20 April at 7pm. Tickets cost HUF 1,200, 3,500, 6,500 and 9,000. Venue: District IX, Komor Marcell utca 1.

Tel.: 555-3300 www.mupa.hu

www.budapesttimes.hu - Saturday, April 12, 2008