Director and Choreographer of The Jade Hairpin and outstanding young artist AO Dingwen presents her new work.Breaking through traditional ballet movements and structures, this new work reexamines the harmony between formal beauty and the authenticity of human nature.

It explores the “Wall” of life, from the outside in, capturing the free colors of the spiritual world.

 

 

AO Dingwen, a ballet dancer who always greets the world with a smile, has a quiet but determined inner strength unique to her. The arrival of new life- her child- has not only given her time to pause and reflect, but also provided the space to deepen her personal journey. Entering a new chapter of life feels like opening a completely new canvas. As a mother, she returns to the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater with her fourth original work, The WALL, using the changing seasons to reassess the "Wall" within. This piece explores the flow of life's journey, its ups and downs, and represents not just her passion for ballet, but also a personal reflection and resolution as she embraces this new stage of life.

 

The pursuit of the stage and the exploration of life—Ao Dingwen weaves the many facets of her life into ballet. This pure and unwavering passion connects her past, present, and future.

 

 

 

About WALL
The dance piece “Wall” uses the physical structure of a wall as a metaphor for the trajectory of life, reflecting the cyclical journey of “seasons.” Concepts like “enclosure” and “rupture,” “construction” and “collapse,” “straightness” and “serpentine paths” represent both the tangible forms of walls and the complexities of human character and life experiences. “Enclosure” symbolizes collective security and external boundaries, while “rupture” signifies breaking free from constraints and embarking on new explorations. In the physical world, material “walls” persist eternally in a loop of repetition. Yet, the human spirit and wisdom remain boundless—it is the “walls” within one's heart that ultimately define the colors of life.

 

Enclosed — Born from the Void
I am born from the void, unfamiliar yet full of curiosity. One by one, people come closer, yet there is distance and separation between us. A few take the lead, connecting with each other, and soon more join in, forming a huddled group. Gradually, through trial and error, they use their bodies to build walls, enclosing me. The spring sunlight falls gently above, warm and full of life.

 

Born from the void, enclosed by walls. The spring sun is warm, vibrant, and full of hope.

 

Broken — Struggling for Breath
Swallowed by these walls for so long, I begin to suffocate. A sudden crack in the wall gives me a glimpse of the outside world—flowers, trees, songs, and dance. With all my strength, I fight against the walls, but the crowd keeps pulling me back. He sees my struggle and offers to lift me up. As the tremors intensify, the walls finally collapse, and the crowd disperses. The summer air is full of heat and passion.

Struggling for breath in suffocation, the tremors break the wall. The summer is alive with energy and passion.

 

Undulating — Silence After the Splendor
After the brilliance, there is the stillness of autumn, and I am left in confusion. He walks toward me, offering strength. The crowd gathers around me again, forming new walls in different ways. This time, I blend into the group—sometimes they surround me, sometimes they lift me up. I have become one with the wall; its movements mirror my inner emotions, and I no longer fear.

 

After the brilliance comes the quiet of autumn, where the undulating walls reflect the human heart.

Boundless — Blossoming into Life
In winter, the snow falls softly, burying the walls. The crowd frees their hands, exploring their own beauty and dancing in their own colors. Amidst the white expanse, they bloom into a dazzling array of colorful lives. I disappear, for I am now one with them, in each and every one of them.

 

The winter snow buries the walls, but from it blooms a vibrant and diverse world of life.

 

 

DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER
Ao Dingwen
Renowned young dancer, choreographer, producer, National Class-A Performer, Principal Dancer of Liaoning Ballet Theatre, Council Member of Liaoning Dancers Association, and National Third Place Winner of Hunan TV’s Dance Storm.

Honors & Projects：
2024: Awarded the National Arts Fund’s "Young Artistic Creation Talent Program" for choreography.
2024: Selected for the "Rising Artists Program" at the China Shanghai International Arts Festival with the modern ballet The Jade Hairpin.
2025: Participated in the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater’s "Youth Incubation Platform" with the contemporary ballet The Wall.

 

Major Choreographic Works：
Roles (2021): Music-Dance Theater production for Liaoning Ballet Theatre.
Sundial (2023): Ballet poetry production for Liaoning Ballet Theatre.
The Jade Hairpin (2024): Modern ballet for Shanghai Ballet Theatre.
The Wall (2025): Contemporary ballet.

 

Medium/Small-Scale Works：
Prelude to Farewell, Homeland, Labyrinth.

 

Production Projects：
2024 Light of Chinese Ballet: Ballet Stars GALA.

 

Awards：
Special Jury Prize (higher than Gold) at the 3rd Tokyo International Ballet Competition.
Silver Medal (Junior Division) at the 7th Helsinki International Ballet Competition.
Bronze Medal (Adult Division) at the 13th Moscow International Ballet Competition.
Gold Medal (Adult Division) at the 6th Shanghai International Ballet Competition.
Wenhua Award (China’s highest government arts honor) and Five-One Project Award (Central Propaganda Department) for her leading role in Eight Heroines.
Liaoning Wenhua Award and Outstanding Performance Award at the 10th Liaoning Art Festival for her role in Butterfly Lovers.

 

Representative Works：
Classical Ballet: Spartacus, Swan Lake, Mulan, Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker, Eight Heroines, Romeo and Juliet, Notre-Dame de Paris.
Modern Dance: Jiu’er, Waiting, Cherished Fate.

 

CREATIVE TEAM
Produced by: Shanghai Yuxiu Cultural Development Co., Ltd.
Director/Choreographer: AO Dingwen
Media Director：JIN Muye、SHEN Huizi
Playwright: FAN Zhou
Executive Choreographer：WU Can
Performed by: College of Dance, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music
Co-organizer：Shanghai Yuxiu Cultural Development Co., Ltd.、Shanghai International Dance Center Theater

SIDCT YOUTH INCUBATION PLATFORM
Shanghai International Dance Center Theater Youth Incubation Platform (hereinafter referred to as "youth incubation platform") is platform for young dance artists in China who have room for growth and development to communicate and display, sponsored and established by the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater. It provides creative resources, funding, publicity and exchange and learning opportunities for outstanding young dancers, promoting development and catalyzing innovation. It provides a new window for Chinese original dance works to go out of the country and into the world.