Ｃａｎａｄａ Ｙｏｕｔｈ Ｂａｌｌｅｔ Ｔｏｕｒｓ Ｃｈｉｎａ

At the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries， the Canada Youth Ballet Company， with a cast of 35， toured China from April 4 to 15 and gave 4 performances in Beijing， Tianjin and Shanghai.

The Canada Youth Ballet Company， comprised of top dancers from Vancouver Goh Ballet Company under the guidance of Artistic Director Choo Chiat Goh and Principal Mrs. Lin Yee Goh and more than 20 years’ diligent practice， has established itself as one of the best ballet teaching and performing institutions in Canada. The company had made several tours in China， winning favorable comments every time.

Blending the quintessence of the British， American， French and Russian ballet schools with elements of modern dance， Canadian ballet boasts its unique artistic features. To offer the Chinese audience a thorough display of the charm of Canadian ballet， the company prepared a rich repertoire， which consisted of such classical pieces as Tchaikovsky’s Rhapsody， Arabian Pas de Deux from Nutcracker， Giselle Act 2， as well as newly choreographed pieces I Journey and Undulation. The highlight was a Chinese dance Flying Kites. When the ballerinas stepped onto the stage in traditional Chinese costumes， dancing to a Chinese melody with Chinese fans in hand， the theatre burst into a warm applause. Among the audience， many professional dancers， choreographers as well as balletomanes praised the Canada Youth Ballet Company for its fresh production that brought in harmony the beauty of classical ballet and the youthful vigor of contemporary dance.

Apart from the stage shows， the Canadian dancers conducted artistic exchanges with performing arts institutions in Beijing， Tianjin and Shanghai， and visited the Central Ballet Company and the classes and rehearsals at the Beijing and Shanghai Dance Academies where they learned the history of Chinese ballet and got an idea about the life and training of their Chinese peers. At Tianjin Ballet Company， the young Chinese dancers performed excerpts from Jingwei and Paquita for the Canadian friends， and the guests， in return， played jazz dance Meravigllia and sang the Chinese folk song Jasmine in Chinese. Both parties performed a passage from Le Corsaire in collaboration. The two companies agreed that this first “joint project” would be followed by future cooperation. At Tianjin Cathay Future Children’s Art Centre， the little performers of the Cathay Future Art Troupe presented an evening of Chinese instrumental and vocal music and dances， entertaining the Canadian guests with gorgeous Chinese arts.