Grand Theater Art Festival to open

Classic ballet "The Nutcracker" will raise the curtain on the 13th Shenzhen Grand Theater Art Festival on the Christmas Day with 25 performances over the following 25 days.

Presented by the Russian National Ballet Theater, established in 1878, and accompanied by the Russian Symphony Orchestra, "The Nutcracker" will be performed by about 150 dancers.

In addition, classics "Swan Lake" and "Sleeping Beauty" will also be performed for Shenzhen audiences by the two well-known troupes.

For the closing ceremony, the large-scale folk pantomime "Dancing Colors" by Yunnan Singing & Dancing Theater, will be presented Jan. 17. which features the characteristics of Yunnan's ethnic minorities.

This year's art festival will also include three stage dramas with both modern comedy and ancient opera.

Long-time hit Chinese comedy Chen Peisi' "Capper," will be staged again this year, the first time since it was first performed in the city three years ago.

For fans of Chinese operas, Huangmei opera "Marriage Between Fairy and Man" and the new version of Shaoxing opera "Butterfly Lovers" will be presented.

Chinese National Orchestra will present a large-scale folk symphony "Music in Splendid Attire" on Jan. 13. The concert integrates different Chinese folk musical intruments including zither, dulcimer and erhu.