A tale of love and loss in 'A Sigh of Love'

“A Sign of Love,” an original ballet by the Shanghai Ballet, will be staged at the Guangming Culture and Art Center this Saturday.

Produced by a Sino-French creative team with choreography by acclaimed French choreographer Bertrand d’At, the production, integrating elements from both classical and modern ballet, Eastern and Western aesthetics, tells a story of love, struggles and pities in a tumultuous era.

Set against the backdrop of Shanghai in the 1930s and the 1940s, “A Sigh of Love” follows the intertwined lives of Mr. Li and Mrs. Wang, the respective husband and wife of two families living in the same alley.

A scene from “A Sigh of Love” when it was staged in Vienna, Austria on May 8. Photos by Xinhua

The two are drawn close after they uncover the affair between their spouses, and love unexpectedly takes root in their hearts out of a mixture of hate, sympathy, and loneliness. But this love, having survived all their painful struggles, eventually goes nowhere after the two are separated by the merciless war, leaving them with pities in their occasional nostalgia of the past times.

Premiered in 2006, the ballet has won numerous accolades, including a bronze award in the dance drama category of the 7th Lotus Award, China’s highest award for dance art.

As the concluding performance of this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival, its nearly 5,000 tickets for three performances between March 22 and 23 were sold out quickly.

Cheongsam, the most iconic attire of old Shanghai, is a highlight of the production. The cheongsams worn by the female dancers, all specially designed by French costume designer Jérôme Kaplan, accentuate their figures without hindering their dance movements.

Scenes from “A Sigh of Love” when it was staged in an old alley in Shanghai last year.

To capture the essence of old Shanghai, which was standing at the crossroads of influences from both the east and the west, the ballet adopts both Chinese songs popular in the era and Western compositions such as those by Beethoven and Chopin.

Established in 1979, the Shanghai Ballet is one of China’s leading ballet troupes, with a diverse repertoire ranging from Western classics like “Swan Lake,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “The Nutcracker,” to domestic favorites such as “The White Haired Girl,” “The Butterfly Lovers,” and “Song of Everlasting Regret.” Known for a style characterized by elegance, subtlety and inclusiveness, the ballet troupe has nurtured numerous renowned Chinese ballet dancers.

Time: 3 p.m., 8 p.m., June 13

Tickets: 80-680 yuan

Venue: Guangming Culture and Art Center, Guangming District (光明文化艺术中心)

Metro: Line 6 to Fenghuang Town Station (凤凰城站), Exit B and then walk around 800 meters