On February 14th-15th, local time in the United States, the second and third performances of the Chinese ballet Raise the Red Lantern won rapturous applause at The John F. Kennedy Arts Center. The artists from the National Ballet of China, led by Zhang Jian, the Prima Ballerina, and Zhang Xi, an outstanding dancer, presented two fascinating shows, setting off the climax for the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year at the John F. Kennedy Arts Center.

It is particularly noteworthy that in the performance of Raise the Red Lantern on February 15th, Qiu Yunting, the youngest Principal Dancer of NBC, made her debut as the "First Concubine" in the ballet. It is undoubtedly a huge challenge for Qiu Yunting, a "post-95" girl, to play such a life-like and distinctive role on the stage. It was also the first for her to perform at The John F. Kennedy Arts Center, which was regarded as a reward for her successful role-shaping after years of efforts!

On February 16th, the last day of the trip to the United States for the National Ballet of China, the "Red Lantern" will continue shinning at The John F. Kennedy Arts Center with the last two wonderful performances to the audience.

Text by Zhou Xunzheng

Photo by Shi Ren