The original dance drama Among the Yuhua Tea – the graduation performance by the students from Choreography Department of the School of Dance (Chinese Dance Direction) was held on December 1st – 2nd, 2023, at 19:00 in the Red Chair Theater in the Performing Arts Teaching Building of Nanjing University of the Arts.

There are a total of 13 students in the Choreography Major (Chinese Dance Direction) of the Class of 2024 from the School of Dance at Nanjing University of the Arts, including 2 male students and 11 female students. Under the guidance of their class teacher, Song Ning, they actively study relevant courses in Chinese dance directing. In the development of the Chinese dance major, they actively expand interdisciplinary communication and cooperation. In terms of dance creation, they cultivate patriotism, strengthen moral cultivation, and promote the spirit of striving. Through dance, they deeply explore and elevate traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage, and tell inspiring Chinese stories through the creation of dance, using classic artistic works from revolutionary history and typical examples of role models in real life.

Introduction to Among the Yuhua Tea

Picking, spreading, fixation, kneading, rolling, grabbing, sieving, roasting... each process witnesses the transformation of tender buds into Yuhua tea. Although coming late, The techniques of making Yuhua tea has officially become a member of intangible cultural heritage. With the shape resembling pine needles, it is lush green, symbolizing the loyalty and perseverance of Yuhua heroes, remaining evergreen through the ages. Among the Yuhua tea, it is a succession of generations, preserving the refreshing tea aroma and the spring of Jinling. Apart from the blossoming flowers and green willows along the Qinhuai River, there is also the freshness of a cup of Yuhua tea...

When a leaf falls into water, it changes the taste of the water, thus tea comes into being tea.

Prologue

In the mountains, wildness prevails; falling in water, tea emerges. Among grass and trees, a continuous trend gradually takes shape...

Act One – Extraction

Nanjing is a gentle city, an ancient capital of six dynasties, and Yuhua tea is the best embodiment of this profound city and its cultural heritage. – Ye Zhaoyan

Act Two - Refinement

In one bud, one leaf, one move, and one form, a touch of fragrance and poetry is extracted through countless trials and tribulations. The production technique of Yuhua tea is among the most challenging in green tea, infusing tradition with innovation and creating the unique needle-shaped tea craftsmanship, inventing the way for pan-fried green tea in China.

Act Three – Passing on the Torch

The tea is Yuhua tea, and the city is Nanjing. When morning dew merges with nature, and when sand accumulates into eternity, a small piece of land upholds the intergenerational transmission and historical mission, forging the Yuhua Spirit through hard work and dedication.

Epilogue

A pot of Yuhua tea tells the story of Jinling's spring. As humans find solace in the midst of grass and trees, tea becomes a sturdy symbol of unrestrained vitality. As the river of history rushes forward, constantly sketching, branches and leaves are embraced and carried forward. The belief of Yuhua becomes more steadfast and intense in this ever-changing process...