The original poetic dance drama Anecdotes of Nanjing by the School of Dance staged in the University Students Drama Show of 2021 Jiangsu Zijin Culture and Art Festival

The original poetic dance drama Anecdotes of Nanjing was staged on the evening of December 16 in the Drama Hall of Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts to celebrate the thousand-year-old culture of Jiangsu as one of the University Students Drama Show of 2021 Jiangsu Zijin Culture and Art Festival series plays, hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education and organized by Jiangsu Dramatists Association, Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts and Jiangsu Federation of Student Art Groups. Vice Chairman of the Jiangsu Writers Association and Chairman of Jiangsu Literature and Art Critics Association Wang Zheng, NUA’s leading officials Zhang Linghao, Zhang Jie and Li Tong, and the judges of the organizing committee watched the performance with the audience.

Zhang Linghao said after the performance that he was so surprised to understand Nanjing in such a unique way. The dance has not only expressed the charm of Nanjing as the ancient capital of six dynasties but also presented stories with Nanjing symbols from the Origin of Tangshan to Jiangnan Examination Center and from the Yangtze River Bridge to the spirit of Nanjing people in the new era. Integrating abstract and modern artistic techniques, the performance has explored the combination of classical and contemporary, folk and modern arts, leading the audience to experience the versatile Nanjing from a new perspective.

Wang Zheng believed that this show, different from other historical dance dramas, had adopted a more intimate narrative style against the profound historical scenes and started a dialogue spanning thousands of years from the viewpoint of Nanjing people in different periods. The dance drama for the public was down-to-earth and also elegant with diversified and appropriate stage performance, in line with artistic standards of higher art institutions. Wang Zheng encouraged all faculty members and students to keep working hard in the aspects of writing in learning, acting in writing, learning in acting, and practicing in learning to strive for artistic excellence.

Zhang Jie emphasized the importance of studying and implementing the spirit of the speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at the opening ceremony of the 11th National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 10th National Congress of the Chinese Writers Association that art should be people-centered, reflect their lives, and well tell stories of ordinary Chinese. This starting point makes  Anecdotes of Nanjing take dance as the manifestation pattern and write an everlasting epic of the people in the viewpoint of ordinary citizens.

Li Tong summarized its artistic characteristics of with three phrases very Nanjing-styled, very artistic, very academic. The performance, displaying Nanjing's unique elements and NUA’s school-running features, was created and performed at a high level of professionalism.

The poetic dance drama Anecdotes of Nanjing, written by Xu Wei of the School of Dance, directed by Wang Jiawei, and co-created by faculty members and students of NUA, is divided into three chapters:  Ancient Styles of Six Dynasties (Ancient Nanjing), Nanjing Memory (Contemporary Nanjing), and Nanjing Symbol (Nanjing in the new era). The play follows the historical changes of Nanjing in the past 2,600 years and displays the pride and sorrow of Chinese people. The old Nanjing, with an experience of ups and downs, has drawn up an ideal picture. Regardless of split land and fragmented records, the spirit of righteousness of the city has recorded in the history. Today's Nanjing is making its way for the new era with a bright prospect. The organizing committee had invited award-winning dancer Hu Qinxin to guide students' stage performances beforehand and carried out elaborate rehearsals for better portraying the characters in the play.

The poetic dance drama Anecdotes of Nanjing was listed as an expanded project of ‘Elegant Arts into Campus in Jiangsu Province’ hosted by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education and Department of Finance in 2020 and supported by the Jiangsu Provincial Arts Fund for Small Stage Plays or Programs in 2021.  It was also staged at the 2021 University Students Drama Show of 2021 Jiangsu Zijin Culture and Art Festival, the 2021 520 Arts Carnival of NUA and other special occasions. the play presents, some unique elements of Nanjing, such as the founding history, folk culture, social hot news, anecdotes, major historical events, and the spirit in the new era, in the format of poetic drama dance to stage its transformation and development of in the thousand-year-old city. The performance considers the historical relics of six dynasties through thousands of years, focuses on the construction and development of the modern city, and recreates a glimpse of Nanjing’s history and culture in addition to the modern cultural and arts styles of the ancient capital. (School of Dance)