Performer: Xun Gong

National Ballet of China’s The Chinese New Year, a Chinese adaptation of the Christmas classic The Nutcracker is without a doubt the most extravagant celebration of the national holiday that any resident of China could hope for.

Unlike some contemporary Giselle being performed in the West, National Ballet of China’s version harks back to the delicacy and romance of the 1841 original. The choreography performed at Beijing’s NCPA last Friday was strikingly beautiful, wonderfully capturing the profound emotion of the piece.