Artist, dreamer and mother, the enigmatic Wang Yuanyuan talks to CW about her new work, her beef with big business and the next life.

Humanity is always searching for a dream, whether it is love or something else. I am still searching for that dream.Humanity is always searching for a dream, whether it is love or something else. I am still searching for that dream.

Ballet belongs to the ballerina: The prima donna. Choreographers, on the other hand, labor in the shadows, animating the graceful curves and pirouettes. They are the hidden jewels behind brilliant masterpieces. And of these jewels, few shine brighter than Wang Yuanyuan.

You may not have heard her name, but few are unfamiliar with her works, which include the full-length interpretations of Zhang Yimou’s “Raise the Red Lantern” and “The Nutcracker.” More recently, she choreographed the dance sequences in Feng Xiaogang’s “The Banquet,” including the famous opening scene in the bamboo forest. Lately this rising star has changed course, sequestering herself in a small studio down a Houhai hutong, feverishly rehearsing her new work, an ambitious ballet adaptation of the revered kunqu opera “The Peony Pavilion,” set to debut on Valentine’s Day.

Appearing at the door of the tiny practice studio dressed in Stussy track pants and a loose beanie, Wang, 33, is the antithesis of a prima donna. Wang herself says, “I really don’t feel like a famous ballerina, I just feel like me. I am who I am, and my works and achievements are merely an extension of my being.”

A dancer since the age of 10, Wang remembers nothing from childhood except rigorous practice. Such focus has propelled her from major dance companies in Beijing to choreographing for the New York City Ballet. In 2002, she came back to China to work with the National Ballet of China on Zhang Yimou’s “Raise the Red Lantern.” Wang’s dream is to combine traditional ballet and contemporary dance with more avant-garde art. Her version of "The Peony Pavilion" is a multimedia tour de force featuring a haunting score by Du Wei and interactive multimedia art by famed Chinese duo 8gg who’ve been exhibited abroad numerous times. There is even a kunqu opera character in full traditional regalia.

If I had one wish right now, it would be to find my Liu Mengmei.

Wang’s own dance studio is producing the show and she herself stars as the female lead. Wang and her partner Yuan Xiaoying (known as a curator of multimedia art shows) are doing this all on their own, but it was a challenge Wang couldn’t pass up.

“I just couldn’t get the story out of my mind,” she explains. “I was so touched by this beautiful tale of love and wanted to explore the emotions of the characters and their ability to search forever for this undying passion. My version plays out only a small part of the story—from Du Liniang's death to her resurrection—and extends this idea into a metaphor for humanity, of life and death in love.”

“Wang has been doing for years what others have told her to do,” Yuan says. “This is the first time she can put her heart 100 percent into something that she believes in.”

She goes on, explaining that, “The difference between Wang and other celebrities is her energy and modesty. She never lets herself go, but does everything with the utmost precision and integrity, always wanting to climb higher and reach that final place.”

Wang’s inspiration for "The Peony Pavilion" stems from her fascination with Buddhism, especially resurrection and the afterlife. “The Buddhist undertone is very strong throughout the [kunqu] play,” Wang explains. “The body is nothing but an outer shell, it is the soul that is eternal and can be revived after the dream. Humanity is always searching for a dream, whether it is love or something else. I am still searching for that dream.” The dream alone is reason enough for her to pour everything into this risky project. For a celebrity who’s won international ballet competitions in the United States, Moscow and Paris on the strength of mainstream, big budget ballets, this is a real test of faith.

Wang openly laments the difficulties in securing investment, as evidenced by her ongoing struggles with the Beijing Youth Daily Media Group, the money behind the production. According to Yuan, Beiqing didn’t really understand the choreography and tried to micromanage it, going so far as to threaten to pull support if Wang didn’t give the opera a happy ending. But Wang didn’t budge. After a very tense meeting in January, Beiqing signaled they would stay in. “What won them over was Du Wei’s score,” Yuan says. “They could relate to that.” “We are promoting an art form that is not capable of creating the same amount of profit as other entertainers,” Wang says with obvious concern. “Everyone is doing something big. Economical, yes, but not artistic. Although people still love these upcoming productions, we are not being given a chance when placed against other players in the market.”

Brilliant as it may be, Wang’s life is not all art. “I am a very busy single mother at the moment,” she explains. “It’s just the two of us right now, and I must say that I am hopeful for a new love if the right man comes along. If I had one wish right now, it would be to find my Liu Mengmei.” She laughs at her own whimsy.

“I am a dreamer,” says Wang. “I delve completely and utterly into the role I am playing, and escape into the world of the main character. Right now, I am Du Liniang.”

Event Details

The Peony Pavilion

Wednesday, Feb. 14 through Feb. 24

Beijing Yingzhibao Theater,

2 Lize Dongerlu, Chaoyang district

Tel.: 6439-8559/8997