Béjart Ballet Lausanne, at the tip of the ballet pyramid, is a world-renowned and award-winning modern ballet company, and also the first ballet to integrate Mozart's works with rock and roll music. It's impossible to miss Béjart Ballet Lausanne when it comes to modern ballet. On October 13 - 15 (Friday - Sunday), Béjart Ballet Lausanne made its debut in Shenzhen with Boléro Night, attracting Pengcheng (known as Shenzhen) audience into the realm of absolute beauty at Guangming Culture & Art Centre to feast on the profound essence amid dance and music. 

Béjart Ballet Lausanne makes its debut in Shenzhen with Boléro Night 

At the mere mention of Béjart Ballet Lausanne, all this is not to forget its founder Maurice Béjart. Thirty years ago, as a choreographer with a unique and innovative spirit, Béjart gained a reputation throughout Europe for his exceptional choreographic style. His rock ballet with Queen (a British rock band) once sensationalized the world. Versace cooperated with him for decades dressing characters in his works. As the crossover originator, he skillfully grafted literature, poetry, and ballet onto every cultural trend such as avant-garde drama, modern art, and alternative music. In 2007, Jill Roman was named successor and artistic director of the ballet by Béjart himself. Jill Roman has ushered the ballet over the years in always maintaining its level of artistic excellence and creating many new works. During October 13 - 15, the Pengcheng audience feasted on the visual splendor brought by the two artists. 

Jill Roman choreographed a 3-day and 3-performance contemporary ballet gala for this debut, including four classic plays of Tous les hommes presque toujours s'imaginent, Liebe und Tod, Bhakti III and Boléro, and two sets of combined plays. One of the most iconic plays has to be Boléro. A large red round table stood out on the blackened stage, and "frozen" in place on the table was a dancer with arms crossed in a fetal-like and dormant position. A row of chairs was set up around the round table, with dozens of male dancers sitting quietly and pensively with their heads bowed. Following the music, the dancer in the center slowly spread her arms and danced slowly, simply, but firmly. As the music intensified, the dancer got faster and faster, more and more widely. The males around were then aroused and joined in the ecstatic dance. As everyone could not help but dance wildly around the round table, the music came to a screeching halt, with the dance coming to a climactic end. And that was the end of the whole performance. The audience was immersed for a long time in the perfect coordination of dance and music, the dancers' superb interpretation, and the spectacular imagery. 

According to Roman, "Boléro is distinguished from previous versions by adding 18 Shenzhen dancers," which highlights the performance. The 18 dancers, all from the Department of Dance, School of Dance and Music, Faculty of Arts, Shenzhen University, participated in the joint rehearsals and live performances of the play Boléro throughout the program. 

In addition to Boléro, the dance Tous les hommes presque toujours s'imaginent headed the dancers step by step up over the barriers of art through a single movement and a single gesture. Liebe und Tod and Bhakti III, on the other hand, demonstrates Béjart's musical sensibility and imagination as a choreographer. The performers have integrated their artistic, literary, historical, and philosophical attainments into their dances, which, together with the changing lights on the stage, have unfolded a strong artistic contagiousness. 

The three-day performance was overwhelmingly received with thunderous applause and praise without a break at the end of each performance. Some audience brought telescopes in order to closely and authentically feel the dancers' performances. "This is the first ballet I've ever seen, and it gave me a strong visual impact and aesthetic feast." Ms. Zhang, who came from Futian, could not stop praising after the performance on October 13, "I not only saw the world's top ballet dancers in tonight's performance but also sensed the innovative choreography of the choreographer." In the sight of Ms. Zhang, the performers danced dynamically and smartly in Boléro to deliver rich philosophical thinking. "I hope to have the chance to see this rare visual feast again in the future."