US ballet theater returns to China after a decade

America's national ballet company returned to China on Nov. 2 for the first time in a decade in the latest sign that the strained U.S.-China relations are beginning to improve.

The American Ballet Theater's 85 dancers prepared for opening night at the Shanghai Grand Theater, where they were to perform "Classic Old and New," a ballet encompassing contemporary moves as well as classical choreography, according to Susan Jaffe, the group's artistic director.

The tour marks a revival of cultural exchanges between China and the United States. The Asian nation will also host a series of performances starting next week of the Philadelphia Orchestra members, marking the 50th anniversary of the orchestra's historic visit to China in 1973.

After four nights of performing in Shanghai, the ballet company will move to Beijing, where it will stage its highly acclaimed version of "Giselle," a classical romantic ballet, at the National Center for the Performing Arts from Nov. 9 to Nov. 12.

"It's a very special year for me," said Jaffe, who took over as the company's artistic director less than a year ago and last performed in China in 2000 as a principal dancer.

"Ballet is a universal language," she added. "We share emotion and beauty and form and musicality and love through our art form, and for Americans to be able to share this love and this universal language with the Chinese people at this moment in time of cultural exchange I think is a very healing experience for everyone — for us, and we also hope for the Chinese people."

The shows were initially scheduled for 2021 but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Zhang Xiaoding, general manager of the Shanghai Grand Theatre, said it had been looking forward to resuming...