"I am very moved. After the dance drama "The Protagonist" refined the novel, it abandoned the metaphysical storyline and pursued the metaphysical spiritual core more." From May 9 to 11, the dance drama "The Protagonist" adapted from the Mao Dun Literature Award and the novel of the same name, Chen Yan, was debuted at the Beijing Tianqiao Art Center. On the night of the premiere, the original author Chen Yan recalled the "Imitation to Qin'e" who appeared on the dance stage for the first time, and expressed his deep emotion, "The dance drama leaves more space for the background of the times, allowing me to see the struggle of individual destiny in the torrent of the times!"

The dance drama "The Protagonist" was unveiled at the Beijing Tianqiao Art Center. Photo by Beijing Daily reporter Fang Fei

　　■Condensed memory of Qin'e's life slice

　　The dance drama "The Protagonist" is produced and produced by Beijing Performing Arts Group, produced and performed by Beijing Opera and Dance Theater, and supported by the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles. The drama takes the growth experience of Qin Opera actor Qin'e as the main line, showing the historical picture from the 1970s to the rapid development of the commodity economy, and then to the current historical picture that focuses on the inheritance and continuation of traditional culture.

　　The original novel "The Protagonist" is 780,000 words and is adapted into a dance drama. The director-in-chief Wang Mei did not play the "safety card" and chose linear narratives. Instead, she used the slice of life of Qin'e as an angle to construct chapter structures such as "forced to learn opera", "polished into angles", "emotional entanglement", and "public opinion conspiracy" to show the audience the complexity and diversity of the image of "protagonist".

　　On the stage, the minimalist sets and exquisite details outline the story of Qin'e's growth and the mark of the times. The mottled brick walls of the practice room reflect the figure of Yi Qin'e practicing hard; the wooden tables and chairs depict the fireworks of the teahouse under the pursuit of light, which symbolizes the economic tide. The picture frames of the four sides circle the male and female dancers, and also the marriage between Yi Qin'e and her first husband. The husband's turn and leave mean that the broken mirror will no longer be reunited.

　　As a work with Shaanxi as the background and Qin Opera as elements, "The Protagonist" also contains unique regional attributes. The famous Qin Opera actors take into account the beauty of opera and dance. They have both Qin Opera style, "Shaanxi" rap, and a rock style with very modern elements, interspersed in different periods of time when Qin E's life was remembered.

　　■Reflection of the pictures of different eras

　　"I haven't taken on a dance drama for a long time and rejected many people, but the theme of "The Protagonist" made me unable to refuse." Director Wang Mei, who chose the play, had his own persistence and perseverance. "The Protagonist sees the big picture from the small, recalling Qin'e's personal achievements, honor and disgrace are closely related to the times. I rarely saw such a magnificent historical picture on the dance drama stage before, so I must take on this drama."

　　The entanglement between personal destiny and the torrent of the times is the reason why Wang Mei deeply loves "The Protagonist" and is also the point she focused on when she created the dance drama. In the early days of reform and opening up, traditional opera was impacted by the commercial economy, and the market was once sluggish, and actors changed their careers one after another. In the venue scene of the dance drama, the group dances surrounded Yi Qin'e with exaggerated market gaits, and she walked through it, with several simple postures and subtle thrusts on her shoulders outlined the loneliness under her reputation. In the new century that focuses on traditional culture, Yi Qin'e completed the inheritance of opera art with her "successor" on the mirror of the high platform, returned to the character itself, and bid farewell to the identity of the "protagonist" on the stage.

　　■Dance conveys the feelings of life

　　When expressing the relationship between Yi Qin'e and her three lovers, the three-part dance shows three different love patterns: the first love that cannot be obtained due to restraint, love her but uses public opinion to "kidnapping" her husband, but true love art hurt Yi Qin'e's artist by painting naked paintings. Especially the first part of the dance duo that expresses the memories of Qin'e and her first love Feng Xiaoxiao. The male and female dancers rarely have physical contact on the stage, and they are restrained and have a strong emotional feeling.

　　"It is difficult for them to touch both hands, let alone raise them. They can only rely on their eyes and aura to show their pulling and obsession." Wang Mei revealed that when scheduling this duet dance, the director and actors took a long time and energy to finally form such a men and women's duet dance with a unique aesthetic. "Dance is not just dance, nor can it just pursue good looks. It conveys the feelings of life." Wang Mei said that this is her standard for creating the "Protagonist" and her artistic pursuit. ( Beijing Daily reporter Han Xuan)

[Editor in charge: Tang Wei]