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Ramayana comes alive in China with open-air dance drama
Chinese performers presented Bharatanatyam-based retelling under the night sky.
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Rwittika Chakraborty - Sat, 28, Mar 2026
- 08:15 EDT
- 13
Ramayana comes alive in China with open-air dance drama / X/@EOIBeijing
The Embassy of India in Beijing has announced the return of “Adi-Kavya – The First Poem,” an open-air dance-drama based on the Indian epic Ramayana, set to be staged March 28.
Presented by Chinese performers, the production brings the story of Lord Rama to life through the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam. The performance will also be livestreamed, extending its reach to global audiences.
The show builds on a milestone achieved Jan. 25, 2025, when a troupe of Chinese dancers staged the Ramayana at the Shunyi Grand Theater, marking the first such performance in China.
After a successful first edition, Adi-Kavya returns today in a special open-air format.
— India in China (@EOIBeijing) March 28, 2026
A dance-drama based on #Ramayana - brought alive by dedicated performers from China. Watch this space for live-streaming details! pic.twitter.com/3WlVtNtN41
Directed by Bharatanatyam exponent Jin Shanshan, the production draws from a Chinese translation of the epic by scholar Ji Xianlin.
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Jin, who trained in India under dancer Leela Samson, has spent more than three decades mastering Bharatanatyam. She founded the Beijing-based Sangeetham Indian Art in 2005, where she teaches the dance form to students in China.
The latest edition also features performer Jessica Wu and takes inspiration from India’s traditional open-air Ram Leela format, blending classical storytelling with cross-cultural interpretation.
The Ramayana, attributed to sage Valmiki and composed more than two millennia ago, follows Prince Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshmana during their exile and their battle against the demon king Ravana. The epic remains a foundational work of Indian literature, exploring themes of duty, loyalty, and righteousness.
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