Red – Wen Hui

Armed with guns, wearing pointe shoes, the all-female fighters of The Red Detachment of Women came to symbolise part of Mao’s communist dream. As one of only eight permissible theatrical works of the time, the 1964 ballet was seen over and over by the Chinese. Choreographer Wen Hui threads extracts, interviews and anecdotal material from original cast members into a dramatic documentary performance that goes beyond the ballet and official Cultural Revolution records. With projected film as a backdrop, she and three other dancers use their bodies as archives, their gestures illustrating stories and evoking memories, in this multi-generational response to this memorable period of history.

The Beijing-based artist makes her first UK visit in ten years with Dance Umbrella.