Event Pictures
Venue Pictures
HD Screening: National Theatre Live – Vanya
@ Wanping Theater
Original Ballet: Lily
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Shanghai International Dance Center
1650 Hongqiao Lu, near Shuicheng Lu, Changning District
虹桥路1650号, 近水城路
Lily is an original ballet adapted from the 1958 novel of the same name by Ru Zhijuan. Written by Wang Anyi and choreographed by Wang Ge, the work explores human relationships during wartime through the story of three characters connected by the simple act of borrowing a quilt.
Lily is an original ballet adapted from Ru Zhijuan’s 1958 novel of the same name. The work is written by novelist Wang Anyi and choreographed by Wang Ge, bringing together a creative team across choreography, music, stage design, and multimedia.
Set against the backdrop of wartime, the ballet centers on the emotional connection between three characters: an Orderly, a New Bride, and a Sister from an art troupe. Through the small but meaningful act of borrowing a quilt, the story reveals their different identities and personalities, while portraying sincere and pure emotions symbolized by the lily flower.
In the days leading to the dawn of a new era, people studied, worked, and hoped for a better future. The narrator recalls memories from the Mid-Autumn Festival of that year.
In autumn 1946, assault troops prepared to launch an attack at Hai’an. Members of an art troupe were assigned to various combat companies. A female member was escorted to a field dressing station by a young Orderly.
Upon arriving in a village, they were tasked with borrowing quilts from local residents. While the narrator borrowed several quilts, the Orderly hesitated at the gate of a farmhouse. There he met a New Bride, who eventually offered a brand-new quilt embroidered with white lilies on a red background. The Orderly refused the quilt at first.
On the eve of battle, soldiers gathered under the bright light of signal flares, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with songs and performances. The New Bride later brought the quilt again, and the Orderly reluctantly accepted it. As the three spoke about peace and reunion after the war, red flares suddenly appeared in the sky—the attack had begun.
At the field dressing station, wounded soldiers continued to arrive as the battle intensified. Eventually, a stretcher team brought in a severely wounded soldier. It was the young Orderly.
The stretcher team revealed that during combat, a grenade had been thrown from a rooftop. The Orderly had thrown himself onto it to protect others. The New Bride carefully cleaned his body, and the quilt embroidered with white lilies was gently placed over his face.
Wang Anyi – Scriptwriter
Wang Anyi is a novelist, professor at Fudan University, and vice chairman of the Chinese Writers Association. Since 1976 she has published 16 novels, including The Song of Everlasting Sorrow, Heavenly Fragrance, and A Knife and a Thousand Words, along with multiple essay collections. Her awards include the Mao Dun Literature Prize and Lu Xun Literature Prize, and she has been nominated for the Man Booker International Prize.
Wang Ge – General Choreographer
Wang Ge is a first-class director and vice chairman of the Chinese Dancers Association. A graduate of Beijing Dance Academy, he has created works including Qianhong, Taoyao, Father, Five Stars Appear in the East, and the ballet The Flag. He has received multiple awards including the Wenhua Grand Award and was nominated for Best Choreographer at the 33rd Benois de la Danse for Lily in 2025.
This ballet presents a stage adaptation of a well-known Chinese literary work through choreography and music. The production combines a contemporary creative team with a wartime story that focuses on human relationships and emotional connections.
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