She is still a swan, 30 years on

Qu Zijiao played the female lead Odette in the maiden production of Liaoning Ballet in 1980.

A fresh graduate of the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, initially she didn't quite know what to make of the gamut of emotions of a princess by night and swan by day.

She had to give expression to the agony of living under the spell of the evil sorcerer Rothbart who turned her and her maids-in-waiting into a flock of swans. Then there was the ecstasy of meeting her prince charming, Siegfried, who took her to dizzying romantic heights. Finally there was the overwhelming grief of being separated from him by the evil designs of the villain.

The fourth act, in which Odette dies in her lover's embrace as the two are swallowed by the waves, was particularly difficult to emote.

"I just emulated the examples set by predecessors, read up on the ballet, watched filmed versions. I had an ear for music, which helped," says Qu.

Thirty years later she is still playing Odette, behind the scenes, showing the new generation of swans how to float and flutter with grace and perfect poise. Qu is the chief dancing supervisor and the new Swan Lake by Liaoning Ballet is shaping up under her hawk-eyed tutelage.

Now the vice-head of the institution, Qu was an integral part of the dancers' team in Liaoning Ballet until 1996. She danced without a break, making a small concession for a few weeks when her son was born in 1990.

"We had a Russian instructor who would put us through a rigorous regimen. My toes would bleed after a while," she remembers, grateful for the pains that helped her perfect her skills.

"I grew with the company," she says, recalling a moment of trial. She broke a bone in her hip while practicing for an international ballet competition in France in 1988. "I slapped some balm on and went on stage." When they announced she had won the competition, "I couldn't believe my ears."

Nowadays, nothing gives her more pleasure than to see her students walk up to the stage to collect top prizes at international events.

"I have seen them grow in front of my eyes, and it's a great feeling to see them win recognition."

The growth of Liaoning Ballet amazes her, too. "When we started out nobody knew of us, and today academics want to research the evolution of the company."

She attributes its success to the steady flow of seasoned professionals from the US, France and Russia, who work as both teachers and also provide creative input.

After 30 years with the company the dance studio at Shenyang's Xihe street feels more like home. Her son, who will go to Beijing Normal University this year to train as a designer, would often complain that she did not have much time for him when he was growing up.

"He's right," says Qu. "I've given my all to ballet."