At 12:30 noon local time on March 24th, the last team of 49 performers of the National Ballet of China, led by Zhu Yan, Deputy Director of National Ballet of China, arrived at the Oporto - Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport. Thus, the Company officially opened its first visit to Portugal, to the west Europe.

At noon local time on the 24th, the stage production department arrived in Porto, the first stop of the Portugal tour, and began preparations for the first performance of the National Ballet of China in Portugal in earnest.

Due to the 8-hour time difference between Porto and Beijing, and the connecting flight on the way, the dancers were exhausting without halting to rest. However, for the wonderful performance of the first tour in Portugal, the dancers entered the theatre rehearsal hall with full enthusiasm after a short adjustment and went into intense training and rehearsal led by Xu Gang, assistant artistic director, general répétiteur and ballet master of NBC. On the other hand, the prima ballerinas Zhang Jian, Wang Qimin and the premier danseur Ma Xiaodong and the principal dancers Cao Shuci, Sun Ruichen, and the outstanding dancers, Wu Sicong, who arrived in Portugal earlier, have entered the rehearsal hall one day in advance and received the guidance of Luigi Bonino to make better preparations.

Mr. Luigi Bonino, who came from France to join the dancers of the National Ballet of China in Porto, was specially invited to giving directions to the dancers of the National Ballet of China in their final rehearsal before the performance of Carmen, in the Ballet Gala-Three in One.

The rehearsal room was full of notes and steps, and the dancers were dedicated;

With the change of scenery, the stage light and dark lighting is still undergoing precise and subtle adjustments...

Daily training for the dancers

Deputy Director Zhu Yan and the dancers in the rehearsal of The Yellow River.

Rehearsal of Giselle 

The curtain of the first performance in Porto in NBC's first tour in Portugal, is about to open on. At 9 o'clock on the evening of March 27th, let's looking forward to the magnificent and touching performance of Chinese ballet in Porto's beautiful night.