The dance drama “The Eternal Wave” is inspired by one of the “100 Heroes and Model Figures Who Made Outstanding Contributions to the Founding of New China” - Li Bai.

Based on the true story of the martyr Li Bai, the production boldly reimagines history while remaining respectful to historical facts. It incorporates elements of youthful energy, revolutionary memory, romantic sentiment, and a tense espionage atmosphere. Through the unique expressive form of dance drama, it vividly recreates the distinctive urban features of old Shanghai—such as shikumen houses, alleyways, streets, newspaper offices, and qipao tailoring shops—on stage. With highly condensed storytelling, poetic imagery, flexible and expressive stage design, and gripping suspense, the work portrays the heroic and deeply moving figure of a martyr who sacrificed his life for the cause of national liberation.

The performance lasts approximately two hours and is divided into two acts. It begins with Li Xia and Lan Fen posing as a married couple to embark on an undercover life in Shanghai. Over the course of 12 years, they live each day on the edge between life and death, secretly transmitting intelligence via radio signals. In a Shanghai filled with shadows of espionage, who is the enemy and who is a friend? Surrounded by hidden dangers and silent attacks, countless comrades fall heroically. Though heartbroken, they can only suppress their grief. Amid silent gun barrels and intense pursuits, Li Xia and his wife endure hardships together. As dawn approaches, a final life-and-death decision must be made. Calmly sending out his last telegram, Li Xia faces sacrifice with a smile. The river of time flows on in silence—only love and faith endure forever.

Synopsis:

A rainy night on the streets of Shanghai.
Li Xia and Lan Fang pose as husband and wife, beginning a 12-year undercover mission…
Every day they walk on a razor’s edge; every night, secret intelligence travels thousands of miles.
Layer upon layer of disguise conceals their exhaustion as they look toward the dawn.
On the eve of liberation, as dawn nears, the darkness grows even colder.
Enemies close in on Li Xia from all sides, while countless comrades vanish in storms of danger.
A newspaper secretary, a photojournalist, a tailor, an apprentice, a rickshaw puller, a publisher, a flower girl—are their identities real or false?
Silent gun barrels, tense chases, wounds torn open like lightning, grief swallowed in silence…

Performing Company: Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble

Founded in June 1979 and restructured as an enterprise in November 2009, the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble creates and performs Chinese dance dramas, dance works, and vocal pieces.

Over more than forty years, the company has built an extensive repertoire of artistic works, including large-scale dance dramas such as Golden Dance, Silver Adornment, Sparkling Red Star, Wild Zebra, Farewell My Concubine, Mulan, Red Clouds on the Horizon, Stage Sisters, Let’s Dance Together, Crested Ibis, The Eternal Wave, and Li Qingzhao. It has also produced numerous themed performances, including The Sound of the Dragon, Full Courtyard Fragrance, The Dances We’ve Danced, On the Road, Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, Songs of the Heart, On the Wings of Song, and Meeting Spring, as well as over a hundred dance pieces.

The ensemble has received numerous prestigious awards, including the “Five-One Project” Award for Outstanding Works in Cultural Development, the Wenhua Grand Award of the Chinese Government for Culture and Arts, recognition from the National Stage Arts Excellence Project, the Gold Award at the China Dance Lotus Awards (both for works and performance), Gold Awards at the National Ethnic Minority Dance Showcase, the Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Award (both leading and supporting roles), the Grand Jury Prize at the East China Professional Dance Competition, as well as various international vocal competition gold medals in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and beyond.

The troupe boasts a wealth of talent. Leading dancers such as Zhu Jiejing and Wang Jiajun, along with principal dancers Bi Ran, Yu Tingting, Zhou Xiaohui, and Fang Wen, are influential figures in the dance world both domestically and internationally. Together with soloists and ensemble performers, they form a well-structured and dynamic artistic team. Young vocalists such as Xu Qing and Xi Yanjuan have also achieved remarkable success in international competitions, gaining widespread recognition.

The ensemble has toured extensively, performing in countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Morocco, Hungary, Cuba, and Peru, as well as in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Works such as Golden Dance, Silver Adornment, Wild Zebra, Farewell My Concubine, and Crested Ibis have gained international acclaim.