Shenzhen’s acclaimed martial arts dance drama Wing Chun is set for its North American premiere in Toronto this month, presenting a fusion of traditional martial arts and contemporary dance, according to several media reports.
The production will begin a three-week residency at Toronto’s Meridian Hall from 16 December to 4 January.
This show is an original production by the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre. It employs an innovative dual narrative, intertwining the story of Ip Man’s mission to popularise the martial art wing chun in Hong Kong with a modern tale of filmmaking through the perspective of Dachun, a lighting technician from Shenzhen.
“Wing Chun pays tribute not only to the martial arts master in the spotlight, but also to the countless unsung heroes behind the scenes,” Yang Jun, president of the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre, told the Global Times. Yang believes the production captures Shenzhen’s hardworking spirit, one which has transformed it from a small village to a high-tech metropolis.
[See more: An oasis of sound: How Shenzhen’s Oil Club is fuelling China’s underground club scene]
The production is co-directed and choreographed by Han Zhen and Zhou Liya, known as the “Twin Stars” of Chinese dance. It integrates wing chun – a close-combat martial art classified as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021 – with tai chi, baguazhang and other disciplines, expressed through classical and modern dance.
A distinctive feature of the production is the use of xiangyunsha, also known as gambiered Canton gauze, a prized Lingnan fabric also recognised as intangible cultural heritage. It is a rare silk fabric dyed exclusively with plant and mineral pigments, and has a subtle lustre under stage lighting.
Ye Xiaobin, general manager of Shenzhen Media Group, remarked to the Global Times that Shenzhen now has the ability to nurture “a cultural imagination of its own” by building on the strengths of the Greater Bay Area.
The North American premiere is jointly presented by TO Live, the digital marketing agency Adem, and the Canada-China Cultural Development Association, building on a decade-long sister-city partnership between Shenzhen and Toronto.
Since its 2022 debut, Wing Chun has performed to sold-out audiences in over 280 shows worldwide, premiering in countries such as Singapore, the UK, France and Russia.
