Leap of faith for hometown ballerina

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-28 09:54

After 13 years of living and working abroad, "China's dancing queen" Tan Yuanyuan still treasures memories of growing up in Shanghai, where she first leapt into professional ballet.

"I have a very fond memory of Shanghai, the place where I got started as a ballet dancer," says the acclaimed San Francisco-based principal ballerina.

Tan, 32, points to her years of rigorous training at the Shanghai Dancing School in the early 1990s as the foundation of her success today.

Even with today's accomplishments and fame, Tan says she still feels very excited whenever her work brings her back to perform in her hometown.

"The city is so vibrant and stylish, very much like Paris and New York. It is the source of inspiration for artists of different kinds," she says.

It also has a nostalgic charm. Tan, for example, likes to spend her time strolling around the places she used to frequent in her childhood, including Maoming Road and Shanghai Chenghuang Temple, both of which have well-preserved historic architecture.

Last November, Tan led a troupe of top ballet dancers from the United States, Japan, Russia and China in a performance of a Chinese-themed ballet, Magpie Bridge, in Shanghai. The production, regarded as the Chinese "Romeo and Juliet," is the first Chinese folk story adapted for a worldwide ballet audience.

"Every time I go back to the city, the feeling is simply different from everywhere else," Tan says. "I was so excited and nervous as well when performing in my homeland, because I want to do better before my people."

Being quick-witted, responsive and coupled with an innate desire to do her best helped her to become the first Chinese principal dancer in the San Francisco Ballet. She earned this spot when she was only 21 years old.

She demonstrated her abilities by learning George Balanchine's high energy, neo-classical ballet pieces overnight, just by following his videotape, which is considered extremely challenging.

For Tan, it all comes very naturally. "This is what Shanghai people are. They are quite smart and flexible," she chuckles.

China Daily

(China Daily 08/28/2008 page18)