“Confucius” Performed by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theatre (CNODDT)

Traditional Chinese culture was woven throughout every beat of this dynamic narrative of Ancient Chinese history performed by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Company (CNODDT). Dancers’ silky dresses and breathtaking movement sequences came together to tell the tale of China’s renowned historical philosopher in a soul-stirring performance of the musical dance drama “Confucius” at Sydney’s State Theatre on Nov 18, 2014.

 The “Confucius” dance drama is based on formative events that took place during the life of Confucius. This performance was far more than a simple recollection of Confucius’ journey exploring the human pysche, soul, and spirit; it shared a glimpse into his inner turmoil upon realising his greatest dream could never truly be realized. The narrative begins in a period of social disorder when the people answered to their king who was also a fatuous hedonist. Even though Confucius spent his whole life trying to improve the political conditions of his nation and the quality of life for everyday citizens, the king was not an advocate of these ideals and enjoyed indulging in the frivolous pleasures of life at the expense of his people. This story was performed over six sections:

• “Inquire”

• “An Era of Disorder”

• “ Running out of Food”

• “Great Harmony”

• “The Melancholy of Humanity”

• and “Cheering”.

In contrast to other Historical dance dramas, “Confucius” emphasized the specific experiences and characteristics of certain characters to represent the tone of an entire historical period and evoke a modality of humanistic thought from the audience.

With over 10 million yuan in investments, CNODDT offered Australian audiences the chance to better understand  Chinese culture while enjoying an evening of quality arts and entertainment. Viewers were temporarily transported back to ancient China, where they witnessed the origins of a rich Confucian culture that is now pervasive in all parts of the world.