A scene from The Crane Calling. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The National Ballet of China's original production, The Crane Calling, returned to the stage on Sept 24 at Beijing's Tianqiao Theater, marking the 10th anniversary of its premiere with a newly updated version. This work revisits the inspiring story of Xu Xiujuan (1964-87), a young woman who gave her life while trying to save cranes in a rainstorm.

Through ballet, the performance paints an anthem to ideals, dedication, life, and the harmony between humans and nature.

Feng Ying, the director of the ballet piece, says: "On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the premiere, we approach this work with high reverence for life and nature, and with a heartfelt remembrance of Xu Xiujuan, the 'crane-protecting hero' who sacrificed her life at the age of 23. This piece is presented in a fresh new form. We have constantly modified and refined it over the past 10 years, and now, with the original creative team and a new generation of artists, we bring this work to a new height."

A scene from The Crane Calling. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The performance opened with a flowing melody as the male protagonist, played by the troupe's principal dancer Ma Xiaodong, stood tall on stage. Behind him was a vast reed marsh, surrounded by cranes in graceful motion. Their dance carried him and the audience back to his college days, as memories gradually unfurled onstage.

The female lead, named Meng Juan, played by young artist Yan Mengxuan, soon made her entrance, amid reeds swaying in the wetlands beneath a red sun, mirroring the hopes and dreams of youth. Meng Juan, through her dance with the cranes and her letters exchanged with her distant lover, conveyed both youthful longing and unwavering commitment to the birds' survival. In the end, she sacrificed her life to save a crane caught in a storm.

A scene from The Crane Calling. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Choreographers Zhang Zhenxin and Ma Cong infused the production with delicate imagery, carefully shaping movements to echo the cranes' elegance and their distinctively Eastern spirit. The stage picture --- cranes stepping and soaring in unison -- highlighted both precision and poetic beauty. The collaboration of young performers of the ballet troupe with the senior dancers, who had performed in earlier productions, lent the revival a sense of continuity and renewal.

The music for the ballet piece was composed by the young musician Shen Yiwen, who also took on the role of conductor for this 10th-anniversary performance. The symphony orchestra of the ballet troupe performed the music live, creating a romantic and beautiful atmosphere.