Dance Artist Yabin Wang and World-Renowned Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to Launch Brand New Genesis World Tour in November in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou

A joint press conference was held here today at the China Millennium Monument Theater by Yabin and Her Friends Season 5, a branded performance event series created by celebrated Chinese young dance artist Yabin Wang together with world-renowned contemporary dance choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Belgian) and his company Eastman.

The brand new production of season 5, named Genesis, is created by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui under the commission of Yabin Studio and jointly produced by Yabin Studio, China International Culture and Arts Company and Eastman. It marks the first attempt of panorama cooperation between a Chinese dancer and an international choreographer in choreography, production and performance.

Genesis uses "the origin of creation and formation" as its theme and is aimed at discovering the original force coming from constructing and deconstructing, structuring and restructuring an organism, using the metaphoric description of a tree growing, with its root representing history and the past and its branches present and the future; they represent a space-time continuum where past, present and future- influenced by the uncertainties of passing time- evolve, recur and return. The work unveils the ever-lasting humanistic themes of the world on new and old, birth and death, love and hatred, and conveys aesthetic philosophical thoughts via dance. It is a cultivation of consciousness, as well as a renewal of visual sense to enlighten audience to re-understand and re-imagine the meaning of the existence and the expression of dance.

H.E. Mr. Michel Malherbe, the newly appointed Belgian Ambassador to China, commented, "Genesis is an important creative cooperation, bringing together cultural practices of both countries. It is one of the first going that far in joint creation. I am very much looking forward to see the result. Artists and institutions on both sides made concerted efforts to realize their collective ideas. Genesis proves that shared passion can transcend differences in language and culture. The piece will be shown both in China as well as in Europe and as such it will connect audiences from all over the globe. I think our future lies in this kind of exchanges as to better understand each other by seeing the world from different angles."

As an international celebrated artist who has over the past more than ten years created over 20 dance works for famous ballet ensembles and theaters including Paris Opera Ballet, Danish Royal Ballet, Ballets de Monte Carlo, Cirque du Soleil, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Teatro Alla Scalla and Le Grand Theatre de Geneve, among which Sutra, Loin, Babel (words) and TeZukA have been staged over one hundred times in the world. He has worked with many noted artists including British film director Joe Wright and British sculptor Antony Gormley, Mr. Cherkaoui attaches a great importance to this cooperation with the young Chinese dance artist, choreographer and producer Wang Yabin.

"The first encounter with Yabin left me a very deep impression," said Mr. Cherkaoui at today's press conference. "I am not only amazed by her versatility as an accomplished young dancer, choreographer and producer, but I am also impressed by her creative ideas and unrelenting pursuit of arts. We are much like-minded in many aspects of dance and philosophy. This is the basis of our cooperation."

According to Yabin Wang, co-producer and co-artistic director of Genesis, founder of Yabin and Her Friends, and a famous young dance artist, "Genesis marks the fifth season of Yabin and Her Friends, following Dancing with You in 2009, Pursuing in 2010, Expecting with Faith in 2011, and Yabin and Her Friends Three-year Anniversary Exhibition in 2012. Over the past four years, via the platform that concerted many Chinese and foreign artists in pinnacle including choreographers, dancers, composers, lighting designers, stage designers and costume designers to collaboratively create, produce and perform, Yabin Studio has many mature works, providing a strong guarantee in content, and a solid basis for future tour and creation."

In addition to having Mr. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who was named European Cultural Ambassador 2013, as its choreographer, Genesis also features the joint efforts of international dancers and executive directors. In addition to Yabin Wang, outstanding domestic dancers Chao Li, Qing Wang and Fang Yi also join for this season. Moreover, it has Kedong Liu, already reputed locally and abroad, as its stage designer, and Qiong Li, cutting-edge overseas returnee designer, as its costume designer. Two prestigious Chinese IT companies iSoftstone Information Technology (Group) Co., Ltd. and ChinaCache Network Technology Beijing Co. Ltd are among the sponsors to this project.

Genesis will debut its world tour at Beijing National Grand Theater on November 14 and 15, Guangzhou Friendship Theater on November 21 and 22 and Shanghai Oriental Art Center on November 27 and 28. It will be staged in major theaters in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Netherlands and Luxembourg.

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