Dance of Oriental: China’s Master Dancers Unite for a One-Night-Only World Premiere in Los Angeles, Celebrating the Nation’s Artistic and Cultural Legacy

Dance of Oriental, a one-night only dance performance in Downtown Los Angeles at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on 

Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 7:30pm

China Oriental Performing Arts Group (COPAG), courtesy COPAG

Irvine, CA (January 2, 2025)  — Oever, the California-based culture and media company that is committed to celebrating and advancing Chinese cultural legacy and heritage by reimagining classic performing arts and cultural traditions, will present Dance of Oriental, a one-night only dance performance in Downtown Los Angeles at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 7:30pm.

Presented by Oever and produced by the renowned China Oriental Performing Arts Group (COPAG), a national performing arts and cultural group of “cultural envoys,” fostering friendship and cultural exchanges between China and countries around the world, Dance of Oriental will create the opportunity for audiences to immerse themselves in Chinese cultural heritage.

Dance of Oriental is an ensemble dance program featuring China’s top acclaimed dancers, celebrated for their performances on the world’s most important and prestigious stages. Showcasing vivid Chinese folk and classical dances that embody poetic choreography and a centuries-long tradition of expressing deep emotion through movement, this captivating production aims to inspire audiences of all backgrounds and foster international friendships through its ethereal artistry.

China Oriental Performing Arts Group (COPAG), courtesy COPAG

Some of the dance programs that each capture a distinct facet of China’s cultural tapestry includes the misty lyricism of Jasmine, evoking southern China’s water towns, to the dynamic Four Practices of Chinese Medicine, which translates healing traditions into graceful choreography, The sweeping blues and greens of Green pay homage to an iconic Song Dynasty masterpiece, while Ink on Water pays tribute to calligraphy, ink-wash painting, and blue-and-white porcelain through fluid movement. Flying Apsaras draws on Dunhuang murals for a celestial blend of dance and mythic imagery, whereas Gaba (Fish Movements) celebrates the Dai people’s aquatic heritage with lively folk rhythms. Imperial Painting Academy places viewers in the heart of Northern Song creativity, highlighting a young artist’s passion for his craft. Towards the Light and Sound, performed by Chinese Korean dancers, explores a symbolic journey of discovery through shifting illuminations, and Far and Beyond honors visionary researchers who push scientific frontiers. Additional dances will be revealed during the live performance.

Also included will be select highlights from the internationally-acclaimed dance drama The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, which has captivated audiences around the world. This spectacular fusion of dance, painting, and poetic imagination celebrates the story behind one of China’s most revered artistic painting treasures—A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains (千里江山图), and pays homage to the brilliant young painter Wang Ximeng, who completed the scroll in the year 1113 at just 18 years old. Preserved in the Palace Museum in Beijing, Wang’s masterpiece dazzles with its distinctive blue-green palette and sweeping landscapes, offering a timeless vision of China’s natural grandeur. This extraordinary production seamlessly blends the splendor of ancient China with the immediacy of modern performance.

The production has toured to over 70 cities and traveled internationally, including to Singapore and Turkey, with more than 600 performances, each met with packed audiences. It has earned multiple prestigious awards, including China’s highest prize for the arts—the 17th Wenhua Award. The show was featured on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala, reaching an audience of over 8 billion viewers. In October 2024, it was also adapted into a film and a symphonic concert.

“This collaboration with The China Oriental Performing Arts Group not only marks a meaningful cultural exchange but also sets the stage for our upcoming Intangible Cultural Heritage Week at Lincoln Center in New York. We look forward to inviting audiences across the United States to experience more timeless and inspiring journeys,” added Shi.

Oever’s presentation in Los Angeles is part of a compelling 2025 Arts and Cultural Season and Cultural Heritage Festival, which will also feature performances from China Oriental Performing Arts Group of Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting, at New York’s Lincoln Center at David H. Koch Theater from January 10 to 12, 2025. As part of its Festival, Oever will organize and produce Westward Spread of Eastern Opera, a contemporary interpretation of Peking Opera and the first presentation of its kind in New York in a decade, at the same Lincoln Center venue on January 17 and 18, 2025.

Dance of Oriental | Los Angeles Performance
Date/Time: January 4, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Venue: The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at 135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tickets: https://www.musiccenter.org/tickets-free-events/lease-events/dance-of-oriental/