The company debuted Prokvosy's Anna Karenina in Beijing in 1996.

In 1999, its original production Xuan Feng (The Celestial Phoenix) won acclaim from the capital's elite ballet fans.

Two years ago on Christmas Eve, Guangzhou Ballet, with the other four Chinese ballet companies, jointly presented a gala performance called Strength of Chinese Ballet at the Great Hall of the People to demonstrate the great achievements Chinese ballet troupes has made over the past four decades.

"Before Guangzhou had its own ballet company, local audiences expected the Beijing-based National Ballet of China to travel southwards, and we now tour northwards to the capital to display our performances," said Zhang Dandan, its president and artistic director.

"The capital, and especially the Tianqiao Theatre always fascinates me, for I spent my best years as a ballerina on that stage," said the former prima ballerina with the National Ballet of China.

"Now I hope to come back often to demonstrate our achievements, to learn from the National Ballet, the oldest ballet company in China, and to share the experience of how to manage a market-oriented troupe with my counterparts."

Zhao Ruheng, president of National Ballet of China, welcomes Zhang and her young ballet company.

"The capital's vibrant New Year ballet season needs fresh blood, besides troupes from abroad and the Beijing-based National Ballet," she said.

"Guangzhou Ballet has developed at a fast speed in the past eight years, thanks to the devoted work of the talented dancers and choreographers', market-oriented management and financial support from the local government," she said. "Its tour to Beijing is something of a challenge to the National Ballet. The three repertoires it brings display the company's versatility," she said.

In January 1994, the local Guangzhou government invited Zhang to return to her hometown to establish the city's own ballet to put more cultural and art elements into the economically booming city.

Ever since its establishment, Zhang has adopted the market-oriented system to achieve both high-quality performances and quick growth.

She has insisted on the involvement of the best choreographers and dancers from both home and abroad during the production.

In the beginning, with the slogan of "Welcome, those who love ballet," Zhang attracted young dancers from four other domestic troupes and the Beijing Academy of Dance with an effective system of motivation and management.

Zhang soon founded a ballet school to train its own dancers. Recently, its leading dancers Tong Shusheng, Chao Lemeng, Zou Gang and Fu Shu won a number of awards in international competitions.

"It is much harder to direct others and manage a company, than to dance by myself. Sometimes, I felt really exhausted," sighed Zhang. "It is my love for ballet that keeps me going. And my dancers' wonderful performances and devotion have encouraged me."

Last year, the Guangzhou Ballet Company gave eight performances in the United States. In addition to the traditional ballet classics, they performed the original productions Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.

Nearly 10,000 people watched its performance. Local newspapers spoke favorably of the Chinese ballet dancers' artistic technique. Zhang said that, although foreign audiences may not fully understand the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet, Chinese ballet nevertheless won their respect.

The achievement of a ballet company can be measured by its repertoire, said Xiao Suhua, professor with Beijing Academy of Dance.

In this case, Guangzhou Ballet Company has about 20 works in its repertoire, both classic and contemporary, both Western and Chinese, both restaged-work and original production, including Anna Karenina, Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, La Traviata, Turandot, Yellow River and Mei Lanfang.

(China Daily December 23, 2002)