《追寻香格里拉》的欧洲之旅

□ 文/本刊记者 熊怡

《追寻香格里拉》的欧洲之旅

□ 文/本刊记者 熊怡

在芭蕾舞起源地欧洲，年轻的重庆芭蕾舞团赢得了主流群体热烈的掌声和欢呼声，经受住了市场的真正考验。

“我们在西班牙首都马德里、法国马赛等欧洲城市的商业演出，每逢周末几乎场场满座。这部剧的原创音乐光碟还以每张高达20欧元的售价被观众抢购一空，这在当地演出市场是极为罕见的。”5月19日，正在为今年7月再度赴欧洲演出积极准备的重庆芭蕾舞团副团长刘曦，向记者回忆起两年前该团原创芭蕾舞剧《追寻香格里拉》在欧洲巡演的情景，仍然掩饰不住内心的激动。

成立于2012年的重庆芭蕾舞团，是国内新崛起的第七支专业芭蕾舞团，它不仅填补了这一项目在直辖市重庆的艺术空白，具有极其重要的历史意义和文化价值，还打造出融合国际与民族、现代与古典元素的芭蕾舞剧《追寻香格里拉》，使其成为一台具有世界眼光的现代芭蕾舞剧。

而在艺术殿堂欧洲，文艺素养极高的主流群体，为何给予这部中国的原创芭蕾舞剧如此高的赞誉？这背后正是重庆艺术家秉承文化自觉、坚持文化自信，在推进优秀文化走向世界、本土艺术商业化发展进程中尝试的有益探索。

在芭蕾舞起源地赢得掌声和欢呼声

2015年9月15日—10月6日，重庆芭蕾舞团携新版原创芭蕾舞剧《追寻香格里拉》圆满完成了赴西班牙、法国的商业巡演。此次演出由重庆演艺集团和中演院线主办，重庆演艺集团西班牙子公司承办。在西班牙的马德里、列伊达，法国马赛3个城市共演出14场。这次演出是年轻的重庆芭蕾舞团自建团以来第一次走出国门，也是第一次如此高密度的演出。

中国驻西班牙王国特命全权大使兼驻安道尔公国特命全权大使吕凡先生携夫人，文化参赞刘雯秋女士等我驻西班牙大使馆部分官员，中国驻法国马赛代总领事王红女士，以及部分中资机构代表到场观看，并在演出结束后与演员亲切交流，给重庆芭蕾舞团年轻的演员极大的鼓舞。

小提琴独奏的浪漫情怀、民族风的主题歌音调、极具古典美的“大双人舞”等等，构成了该剧大气磅礴的舞台盛景和高品质的艺术质量。重庆籍国际艺术家、德国柏林国家剧院芭蕾舞团明星、重庆芭蕾舞团团长刘军说，“在芭蕾舞的起源地欧洲，我们赢得了主流群体热烈的掌声和欢呼声，年轻的重庆芭蕾舞团经受住了市场的真正考验。”

此次重庆芭蕾舞团赴欧洲演出的地点，分别位于西班牙首都马德里市中心的POLO剧场，西班牙加泰罗尼亚地区列伊达省首府列伊达市LA LLOTJA剧场，以及法国第二大城市马赛的SILO剧场。而就在《追寻香格里拉》西班牙演出的档期里，还有古巴、俄罗斯的知名芭蕾舞团的优秀剧目同期上演。众所周知，这两个国家的芭蕾舞不仅历史悠久，水平更是堪称世界一流，演出的场地也是当地最豪华的剧场。

即便在如此激烈的竞争中，《追寻香格里拉》平时上座率都能保持在70％以上，遇到周末更是一票难求，场场满座。每场演出都精美绝伦，欧洲观众被该剧极具中国民族特色的音乐深深吸引，特别是藏族的民族服饰、舞美效果，让观众大为赞许。更出乎意料的是，该剧原创音乐光碟大受欢迎，每张价格从8欧元被炒到了20欧元，还有很多观众因为没有买到而备感遗憾。

→ 融合国际与民族、现代与古典元素的芭蕾舞剧《追寻香格里拉》，是一台具有世界眼光的现代芭蕾舞剧。

↓ 原创现代芭蕾舞剧《追寻香格里拉》以纯正的古典芭蕾演绎了现代故事。

← 新版《追寻香格里拉》制作精良，从双人舞到群舞，都堪称精美。

↑ 邀请世界一流的创制班底加盟改编，新版《追寻香格里拉》是国际合作的结晶。

中国芭蕾舞剧凭什么打动欧洲观众？

芭蕾舞剧《追寻香格里拉》描述了生活优越但又迷惘空虚的青年画家丹青，动身去追寻象征宁静安详的精神高地—香格里拉，并与藏族姑娘卓玛演绎悱恻爱情的动人故事。巧妙地以人们熟悉和喜爱的舞台形式芭蕾舞，结合“香格里拉”的题材来呈现，将国际与民族、时尚与古典元素独辟蹊径地融合起来，具有较高的芭蕾舞专业学术创新价值。

该剧是2013年重庆芭蕾舞团倾力打造的首台芭蕾舞剧，一经上演，就得到了业内专家的一致好评，并先后参加了第十五届上海国际艺术节、澳门中秋晚会、重庆市优秀剧目巡演等活动，2014年还获得了重庆市“五个一工程”奖。

2014年，《追寻香格里拉》向国家艺术基金申报了大型舞台剧目改编资助经费，经过国家艺术基金评委初评、答辩、终评3个环节，最终从全国申报的1300多台大型剧目中脱颖而出，这也是当年我市唯一一台入选该基金大型舞台剧目创作资助的项目。

据介绍，获得资助之后他们在原版基础上进行了颠覆性的改编和创新，注重回归艺术本位，树立艺术品质。还特别邀请德国柏林芭蕾舞团编舞Orkan Dann亲临指导，赋予了“香格里拉”更深刻的艺术内涵。该剧在推进改编过程中，不断邀请世界一流的创制班底加盟，融合了来自美国、德国、英国、澳大利亚，以及北京、上海等国内一流的编舞、服装、舞美、音乐的国际化创制班底。可以说新版《追寻香格里拉》是国际合作的结晶。

2016年9月，在北京举行的第五届全国少数民族文艺会演中，《追寻香格里拉》作为这次晚会唯一一台以芭蕾舞形式亮相的节目，斩获音舞类剧目银奖。全国少数民族文艺会演组委会的评语是：《追寻香格里拉》的创作及表达，在古典芭蕾“开、绷、直、立”的高贵典雅，与藏族舞蹈“下颤、侧摆”的优美动律之间做到了结合与平衡，形成新的舞蹈语汇，生动诠释了“美好总在梦里，追寻永不放弃”的主题。我们每个人心目中都会有一个香格里拉，既有对家乡的爱，也有对祖国山河的爱，更有对真善美的追求，这就是我们的中国梦。

2015年，《追寻香格里拉》作为国家艺术基金传播交流推广资助项目，开始采用商业演出进行海外交流推广，并获得了成功，这就是该剧赴欧洲巡演的重大意义所在。据市文化委负责人介绍，2017年7月5日—17日，重庆芭蕾舞团新版原创芭蕾舞剧《追寻香格里拉》将再次启程赴西班牙马德里、巴塞罗那等城市进行16场商业巡演；9月，重庆芭蕾舞团还计划赴新加坡交流演出。我们有理由期待，《追寻香格里拉》的国际化路线、民族化题材、艺术化创编会赢得更多海内外观众喜爱。

（图片由重庆芭蕾舞团提供）

“Our commercial performances held in European cities such as Madrid, the capital city in Spain and Marseilles in France were all full almost in every weekend. The original music discs were even all sold out at a price of 20 Euro, which was extremely rare in the local performance market.” On May 19, Liu Xi, deputy head of the Chongqing Ballet, who is actively preparing for the performance in Europe in July this year, still could not conceal his excitement when he recalled the situations when their original ballet “Searching for Shangri-La” was put on in Europe.

Founded in 2012, as the seventh professional ballet that newly rises in China, Chongqing Ballet not only fi lls the blank of this art event for Chongqing municipality, which is of an important historical significance and cultural value, but also creates the “Searching for Shangri-La” as a rich synthesis of international and national elements as well as modern and classical elements and makes it a modern ballet with a worldwide vision.However, why do the dominant group with a rather high literary and artistic attainments in Europe-the palace of art, give this Chinese original ballet such a high praise? The answer is that by keeping faith with the cultural consciousness and cultural self-con fi dence,Chongqing artists are making some beneficial exploration in the progress of promoting the excellent culture to the world and commercialization of local art.

Applause and cheers were won in the birthplace of ballet

From September 15 to October 6 in 2015, Chongqing Ballet successfully completed its commercial tour to Spain and France with a new version of the original ballet “Searching for Shangri-La”. This performance was sponsored by Chongqing Performing Art Group and CPAA Theatres and undertaken by a subsidiary ofChongqing Performing Art Group in Spain. Fourteen performances were put on in three cities including Madrid and Lleida in Spain and Marseille in France.That was the first time for Chongqing Ballet to go abroad since its founding and also the fi rst time to have such high-density performances.

The spectacular and magni fi cent scenery and the highquality art are consisted of the romantic of violin solo,the theme song with a folk style and the “Big Couple Dance” with classic beauty and etc. Liu Jun, who is an international artist in Chongqing, the star of Ballet of National Theatre in Berlin, Germany and the head of Chongqing Ballet, said, “The ballet is originated in Europe and we have won the applause and cheers from those mainstream group, which means that this young Chongqing Ballet has withstood the real market test.”

Chongqing Ballet had given the performances in three venues in Europe including the POLO Theatre in the downtown of Madrid, the capital city of Spain,LA LLOTJA Theatre in the Lleida City, the capital city of Lleida Province in the Catalonia Region, Spain and SILO Theatre in Marseille, the second largest city in French. Just during the performing schedule of“Searching for Shangri-La” in Spain, there were also some excellent plays of famous ballets from Cuba and Russia performing at the same time. As known to all,the ballet of those two countries not only boasts a long history, but also a world-class level. The venue for the performance was also the most luxurious theatre in the local area.

However, the attendance rate of “Searching for Shangri-La” in ordinary time still could be maintained at more than 70％ even in such a fierce competition.And even one ticket would be difficult to get when it came to a weekend. With each exquisite performance,the European audiences were all deeply attracted by the music with Chinese national characteristics,especially the national costumes and choreography effect of Tibetan nationality that were all praised by the audiences. More surprisingly, the original music CD was generally welcome and the unit-price was raised to 20 Euro from 8 Euro. Many audiences felt a pity for not getting one CD.

Why should this Chinese ballet touch the European audiences?

“Searching for Shangri-La” describes that a young painter Dan Qing, who lives a superior life but confused and empty, decides to search for Shangri-La, a spiritual highland symbolizing the peace and tranquility and a touching love story between Dan and Zhuo Ma-a Tibetan girl. Presenting the story through a familiar and popular stage form, it combines with the international and national elements as well as the fashion and classical elements creatively, which is of an academic and innovative value of ballet major.

In 2014, “Searching for Shangri-La” had declared an adaptation fund of large stage play to National Endowment for the Arts. After three links of the jury of National Endowment for the Arts including the initial evaluation, defense and final evaluation, “Searching for Shangri-La” fi nally stood out from more than 1300 large plays nationwide, which was also then the only one selected into the project in Chongqing.

According to the introduction, they made a subversive adaptation and innovation on the basis of the original after obtaining fund, focusing on the return of art base and the establishment of artistic quality. Orkan Dann,the choreography coach of Berlin Ballet, was specially invited to give instructions. Therefore, “Searching for Shangri-La” was given an even more profound artistic content. During the progress of adaptation, the world-class teams of creation were invited constantly,which integrated into an international team of creation including choreography, costume, stage design and music from America, Germany, British, Australia and some fi rst-class teams in Shanghai and Beijing. It could be said that the new version of “Searching for Shangri-La” was the crystallization of international cooperation.

In 2015, as a funding event for communication and promotion of National Endowment for the Arts,“Searching for Shangri-La” began to adopt the commercial performance to conduct the overseas exchange and promotion and had achieved a success.So this is the significant meaning of this ballet’s European tour. According to the introduction of the principal of Chongqing Municipal Culture Committee,from July 5 to 17, 2017, the new version of “Searching for Shangri-La” of Chongqing Ballet will again begin its 16 commercial performances in Madrid and Barcelona in Spain and so on; Chongqing ballet is also planning to go to the Singapore for exchange performance in September. It is reasonable to expect that the internationalized route, nationalized theme and artistic creation of “Searching for Shangri-La” would be favored by more and more audiences at home and abroad.

(Pictures are provided by Chongqing Ballet)

A Trip to Europe of “Searching for Shangri-La”

□ Article / journalist Xiong Yi