WARRIOR PRINCESS: Dancer Pan Lingjuan performs as Mulan at the David H. Koch Theater in New York City on March 5 (WANG LEI)

"In this form, as a dance drama, the legend of Mulan is totally different from other versions like movies or TV series. In regard to content, our dance drama is the closest to Mulan's poem Ballad of Mulan, as we all know the original poem has only some 300 characters and it is impossible to create a long work from a short poem. So other adaptations or arrangements usually add a lot of imaginative input from producers," he said.

Yang also opens his performance with the sound of schoolchildren reciting the original verses.

Wilson Fung, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Dance Co., said the New York performance was part of the troupe's international mission.

"We bring our city's unique artistic style to the world by visiting different locations with our original products, engaging audiences to encourage cultural exchange," Fung said. "We have done this as a prelude before, during our performances in Hong Kong, and it has been fantastic. So we would love to continue this tradition in North America as well."

More highlights

Another highlight from the performance was the costume designs from Karin Chiu, an award-winning costume designer known for her blending of Chinese and Western aesthetics. Audience members were given the chance to examine her designs closer during intermission at a display in the lobby. An ethereal blue gown of chiffon featuring hand-painted flower appliques delighted two young girls, who excitedly proclaimed it "so beautiful." The feminine gown was a stark contrast to the costume for Mulan as the military general, featuring plastic trimming and a chain mail of metallic threads. Yet even the masculine armor had a touch of femininity with layers of fabric added under the plates.

The multilayered set was excellent, giving the dancers multiple surfaces and levels from which to portray the tale. Mountains and city walls were abstract but clear in their intent. The lighting was also excellent, including that in a lantern dance that was beautiful and haunting.

The score was beautiful, but the recording used in the performance, however, was decidedly lacking. At times the music would go silent, leaving the audience to wonder if it was a planned pause or if the audio track had simply chipped out. The recording was flat and harsh. A live accompaniment would obviously have been a great improvement.

The Hong Kong Dance Co. was established in 1981 and incorporated in 2001 as a charitable and non-profit artistic institution. The troupe has staged over 100 productions including a 2013 tour of Qingming Riverside in Toronto and Washington, D.C. The group has also been invited to perform at the "Meet in Beijing 2008" Arts Festival at the Olympic Games and at the opening ceremony of the 2009 East Asian Games. It was honored with the 2013 Hong Kong Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Production for its performance of Spring Ritual.Eulogy.

The Mulan performance was sponsored by the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG), its fourth production at the David H. Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts since The Peony Pavilion in January 2012. CAEG's two core companies China Performing Arts Agency and China International Exhibition Agency have organized thousands of governmental cultural exchange projects and commercial stage performances and arts exhibitions both at home and abroad.

The author is a contributing writer to Beijing Review, living in New York City

(Anqi Shen contributed to the story)

Copyedited by Eric Daly

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