English Original
BALLET. Is it just about men prancing around in tights while women follow along in tutus? Or does this high-class art form offer us something more to think about?
Last weekend, the New York City Ballet (NYCB), one of the leading ballet companies in the US, arrived in China. It hoped to appeal to a Chinese audience with a contemporary American style.
"Our performance is based on classical ballet, but it's still very accessible," says Nilas Martins, the ballet company's lead dancer. "It's a fun performance. It's like watching fireworks."
The NYCB performed at Beijing's Exhibition Theatre before going on to Shanghai for the 7th International Dance Festival.
Martins is a little confused by the Chinese response to his performances. "Their faces are blank. I can't tell if they enjoy it or not. Perhaps they think it's respectful not to disturb the dance."
This is Martins' fifth visit to China. In 2004, he performed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He laughs when describing the atmosphere: "I couldn't believe it. People were getting up from their seats and moving to sit by their friends. They were chattering and enjoying themselves. They didn't take out food or anything, but the atmosphere was nothing like the formal ballet in the US."
So how are you meant to behave? Western audiences typically sit quietly, listening intently to the music and immersing themselves in the dance, then applaud loudly at the end. But Martins is convinced you should enjoy ballet in your own way. It's not necessary to follow convention.
"My advice to a young person seeing ballet for the first time is not to be judgmental. If you have an open mind, you will capture the beauty," he says.
中文翻译
芭蕾。 它仅仅是穿着紧身裤的男人跳跃、穿着短裙的女人跟随吗？还是这种高雅的艺术形式能给我们带来更多思考？
上周末，美国顶尖芭蕾舞团之一的纽约市芭蕾舞团（NYCB）来到中国。它希望以其当代美国风格吸引中国观众。
舞团的首席舞者尼拉斯·马丁斯说：“我们的表演基于古典芭蕾，但仍然非常易于欣赏。这是一场有趣的表演，就像观看烟花一样。”
纽约市芭蕾舞团在北京展览馆剧场演出后，前往上海参加第七届国际舞蹈节。
马丁斯对中国观众对他表演的反应有些困惑。“他们的表情很平静。我无法判断他们是否喜欢。也许他们认为不打扰舞蹈是一种尊重。”
这是马丁斯第五次访问中国。2004年，他曾在人民大会堂演出。他笑着描述当时的氛围：“我简直不敢相信。人们会从座位上站起来，坐到朋友旁边。他们聊天，享受其中。他们没有拿出食物或做其他事，但那种氛围与美国正式的芭蕾舞演出完全不同。”
那么，究竟应该如何表现呢？西方观众通常安静地坐着，专注地聆听音乐，沉浸在舞蹈中，然后在结束时热烈鼓掌。但马丁斯坚信，你应该以自己的方式欣赏芭蕾，不必遵循惯例。
他说：“我给第一次观看芭蕾的年轻人的建议是，不要急于评判。如果你敞开心扉，就能捕捉到它的美。”