Ballet is a dance of cranes

Crane Whisperer by the National Ballet of China focuses on the relationship between human beings and nature. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

National Ballet of China seeks to tell the story of a woman who died protecting the birds. Chen Jie reports.

Although Swan Lake has come to symbolize ballet worldwide, there will soon be cranes.

The National Ballet of China will premiere its original production Crane Whisperer at Beijing's Tianqiao Theater from Sept 23-26.

The story - familiar to Chinese audiences - is about a woman named Mengjuan from a family that looks after cranes. She sacrifices herself to save some cranes in a rainstorm.

The idea came to Feng Ying, president of the National Ballet of China, during the company's tour of Qiqihar city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province in October 2008.

They visited Zhalong Nature Reserve, which is a habitat for cranes.

"We talked about the cranes and thought their gestures and movements are as beautiful as dancing," Feng says. "It reminds us of the dancing of swans in Swan Lake and we thought why don't we try a dance of cranes."

The local people told them about the real story of a woman who died protecting cranes.

"I was impressed by the devotion as well as the love and communication between the cranes and such caretakers. I think it's a good story about the relationship between human beings and nature. It's also universal," she adds.