Dance work to honor poet

Poet Dongpo, a contemporary dance drama by Shen Wei, a world-renowned choreographer, painter and visual artist, will premiere in Shanghai from July 22 to 23.

Shen is known for his work at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing by choreographing the dance piece, titledScroll Painting, in which dancers performed on a constant changing LED scroll of Chinese ink-and-wash paintings, depicting the evolution of China since ancient times.

The latest dance drama, produced and initiated by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, will center on Su Dongpo of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), one of the most recognized Chinese cultural icons of all time. Su's legacy, including his calligraphy, painting and his broad influence in various fields, as well as his poetry, is celebrated even today.

The dance drama will feature music, dance, poems and paintings, as well as traditional Chinese culture elements, such as calligraphy, stone carving,guqin, traditional Chinese operas and martial arts.