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Zhao Ruheng
Madam Zhao Ruheng, the Executive Director and Artistic Director of the National Ballet of China (NBC), the vice chairman of Chinese Dancers Association, began her career with the company as a principal dancer in 1961, after graduating with outstanding recognition from the Beijing Dance Academy. A leg injury in 1972 however brought her dance career to an end, which included principal roles in Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Giselle and The Red Detachment of Women. After pursuing further studies at the Beijing Second Foreign Language Institute, she devoted herself to teaching, rehearsing, artistic research, and external cultural exchanges of the company. In recognition of her great contribution to Chinese ballet, she was appointed the Deputy Director of the NBC by the Chinese Ministry of Culture in 1993 and was promoted to the Executive Director in the following year.
Under Madam Zhao Ruheng's leadership,the NBC attached great importance in creating ballets with Chinese Characters and learning from various schools of ballet at the same time. Until now the company has collaborated with numerous celebrated ballet artists and companies around the world, and has continuously introduced and staged outstanding classical and contemporary ballet works of the west to Chinese audience. Its repertoire now includes classics as Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Coppelia, Giselle, The Fountain of Tears, Sylvia, Le Corsaire, Carmen, La Bayadere Act III and well acclaimed contemporary works like The Rite of Spring, Chairman Dancers, The Four Last Songs, Etudes, The Four Temperaments, Who Cares, Five Poems, Theme and Variations, etc. On May 2nd, 2001, Raise the Red Lantern was premiered at Tianqiao Theatre in Beijing. It is a full-length ballet adapted from Su Tong's novel Wives and concubines and co-created by a team consisted of the famous film director Zhang Yimou, Composer Chen Qigang, staff of the NBC and other talented artists. Since its premiere, this ballet has entertained the audience both national and abroad with sensational and typical glamour of China in its 1930's. Along with The Red Detachment of Women, this ballet has become another splendid "Red Ballet" which enjoys acclaims around the world. Meanwhile, other creative ballets like The Chinese Nutcracker, Butterfly Lovers, and The Yellow River have also drawn the attention of the international dance circle for their unique Chinese characteristics.
Madam Zhao has also led the NBC on numerous international tours, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Russia, France, Netherlands, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Taiwan Province, Hong Kong and Macao SAR of China. During its 2003 tour to the United Kingdom, France and Italy, the company received great esteem and recognition in the "hometowns" of ballet.
Madam Zhao was appointed the juror for the Kwangju International Ballet Competition in Korea (1995), the New York International Ballet Competition (1996 & 2000), the USA Jackson International Ballet Competition (2002), the Nagoya International Ballet Competition in Japan (2002), the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria (2004), the First Seoul International Dance Competition (2004) and the Helsinki International Ballet Competition (2005). In 2001 she was appointed the Chairwoman of the jury for the Second Shanghai International Ballet Competition in China. Since 1984, the excellent dancers of the NBC have won many prizes at major international ballet competitions at Varna, Moscow, Jackson, Paris,Tokyo and Osaka, etc.
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