Celebration of 10th anniversary on pointe

Lead principal dancer and deputy director reflects on his career with one of China's greatest ballet companies as it stages adaptation of Swan Lake, Zhang Kun reports.

As the Shanghai Ballet celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Swan Lake production of the Shanghai Grand Theatre on Feb 15, Wu Husheng, the lead principal dancer and deputy director of the company, shared his experiences with the show and his career as the leading dancer in one of China's greatest ballet companies.

Swan Lake, which was composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, is arguably one of the most popular ballets in the world. Shanghai Ballet's Swan Lake was choreographed by British artist Derek Deane. In 2015, Deane created a new version for the company, featuring an unprecedented ensemble of 48 swans, double the usual 24.

Over the past 10 years, this deluxe production has toured extensively around China, Europe, the United States, Australia, and other parts of the world. In 2020, it debuted at Lincoln Center in New York, and in 2023, the Shanghai Ballet made its fourth tour of Europe, with 36 performances in four cities in the Netherlands, performing for over 70,000 attendees.