泰国芭蕾女孩Sakura重庆逐梦

刘丁睿 贺煜

Ballet Girl Sakura from Thailand， Dancing to Her Dreams in Chongqing

“Open， extend， and jump ......” A girl speaking “not-so-good” Mandarin is particularly noticeable in the practice room of Chongqing Ballet Theater （Chongqing Ballet）. She is Sakura （Chinese name： Xiao Ying， 小櫻）， 23 years old from Bangkok， Thailand and a foreign performer joining the Chongqing Ballet in June 2021.

Meeting Chongqing Ballet in Singapore

Sakura started to study ballet from a young age and was admitted by the Kirov Academy of Washington D.C.， USA after extensive trainings day in and day out. Her love for ballet has driven her to turn this hobby into her career after graduation.

In 2019， Sakura learned from her teacher that Chongqing Ballet would stage a performance in Singapore， which was a wonderful opportunity for her to observe and learn. In Singapore， after watching Chongqing Ballet’s performance Shangri-La， she had a totally different understanding of ballet as it was performed with strong expressiveness， unconventional dancing philosophies， and the avant-garde aesthetics.

“I really enjoyed Chongqing Ballet’s performance and dreamt of becoming one of them and performing on more stages.” Sakura recalled that after the performance， she met Liu Jun， Director of Chongqing Ballet. She was touched by his unique insights on ballet. After two years of hard work， Sakura has realized her dream and become a member of Chongqing Ballet.

On Bigger Stages from Chongqing

“When I first arrived in Chongqing， I missed my family very much. I talked with my parents every day via video call. The warmth that I’ve felt in Chongqing has made me adapted quickly to this place.” Sakura said that friendly and welcoming Chongqing colleagues cared her a lot and， gradually， she didn’t feel homesick anymore.

“My time at Chongqing Ballet is very fulfilling. I perform a lot and spend most of the other time in rehearsals. I practice six or seven hours a day and thanks to that， I have improved tremendously.” Before joining Chongqing Ballet， Sakura didn’t have many opportunities to perform， but Chongqing Ballet has given her a wider stage to improve her skills and enrich her experience on stage.

When performing with Chongqing Ballet， Sakura also met a great challenge - Chinese classical dancing. She had never been trained for Chinese classical dancing before. It was a slow process to start but she enjoyed it. After practices， she has learned how to blend Chinese classical dancing with ballet， enriching ballet with more Chinese features and artistic elements. Thus， ballet is able to embrace characteristics of the East and the West.

Nearly a year in Chongqing， Sakura has performed over 50 times in many ballets such as The Nutcracker Magic， Ballet in Illusion， Carnival of the Animals， Ripples Across Stagnant Water， Shangri-La and Ode to the Red Plum. She has danced in almost all the theaters in Chongqing and knew more about Chongqing’s local conditions and people. On April 21st this year， Chongqing Ballet’s Ode to the Red Plum Blossom was presented during the International Dance Festival at the Julio Mario Santodomingo Theater in Colombia， offering a feast of oriental dance to an audience of more than 2 million worldwide. Sakura was a dancer in that ballet.

In her leisure time， Sakura learns Chinese and enjoys exploring Chongqing with her friends. Nanshan Mountain， Nanbin Road， and Shibati （Eighteen Steps） are some of the places that she has visited. Sakura is so excited， “Chongqing is SO beautiful！” Not only the wonderful sceneries， but also the spicy food is a big hit with her， including Chongqing hot pot， Xiao Mian （Chongqing noodles）， Ma La Tang （mini hot pot）， Mao Xue Wang （Spicy Blood Curd）， Chao Shou （Chongqing-style wontons） and so on.

Hoping for More Cultural Exchanges Between Chongqing and Bangkok

In September 2011， Chongqing and Bangkok tied up as sister cities. Bangkok was the first capital city to establish a sister-city relationship with Chongqing. Coming from Bangkok， Sakura has a special feeling for Chongqing.

Chongqing in the eyes of Sakura is a modernized international metropolis. Skyscrapers and cross-river bridges harmoniously co-exist with old streets and ancient towns. This is Chongqing where history meets modernity. When night falls， the lights will make this city even more glamorous.

“Moreover， Chongqing is an open and inclusive city.” Sakura says that foreigners living here give thumbs-up to Chongqing. There are many restaurants of different styles around the world， offering tasty food of hometowns to foreigners. More foreign businesses and foreigners will be attracted to make investments and pursue their careers here in the future.

Talking about Chongqing and her hometown Bangkok， ballet dancer Sakura hopes that Chongqing and Bangkok can carry out more cultural exchange activities. She looks forward to improving mutual understanding and friendship between the two places with mutual visits and performances， learning opportunities， as well as interactive events. Once the pandemic is over， ballet dancers from both places could engage more with each other in exchange events and mutual learning， presenting more wonderful ballets to the audience.

“Chongqing has a long history and Bangkok also enjoys rich heritages. Chongqing people are welcomed to visit my hometown Bangkok and feel the charm of the city. I will also tell my friends and family more about this beautiful land of Chongqing.”

Photo/Chongqing Ballet Theater

“打开、送出去、跳……”，在重庆芭蕾舞团练功室，一位操着不太熟练的普通话的女孩，格外引人注意。她是来自泰国曼谷的Sakura（中文名：小樱），今年23岁，是重庆芭蕾舞团引进的外籍演员，2021年6月来到重庆。

在新加坡初遇重庆芭蕾舞团

Sakura自幼学习芭蕾，日复一日的艰苦训练，她终于被美国华盛顿基洛夫芭蕾舞学院录取。热爱芭蕾，她便在毕业后将这一爱好变成职业。

2019年，Sakura从老师口中得知，重庆芭蕾舞团将在新加坡有一场演出，她便欣喜地前去观摩学习。在新加坡，她欣赏到重庆芭蕾舞团的演出《追寻香格里拉》，富有张力的舞台表现，不落窠臼的舞蹈思路，与时俱进的艺术审美，让她对芭蕾产生了不同以往的认识和理解。

“我非常喜欢重庆芭蕾舞团的演出，当时就特别想成为她们中的一员，去更多舞台表演。”Sakura回忆说，通过那场演出，她结识了重庆芭蕾舞团的团长刘军，刘团长对芭蕾的独到见解让她深受触动。经过两年的努力，Sakura如愿成为了重庆芭蕾舞团的一员。

在重庆登上广阔舞台

“初到重庆之时，我很思念家人，每天都会和父母视频通话，但来自重庆的温暖让我很快就适应了这里。”Sakura说，重庆人热情友好，舞团的同事对她关怀备至，离家的愁绪渐渐消散。

“在重庆芭蕾舞团的日子非常充实，会经常随团演出，其他时间大多在排练，每天会练习六七个小时，让我得到了极大的提升。”Sakura表示，在来重庆芭蕾舞团之前，她并没有太多的表演机会，而重庆芭蕾舞团给了她广阔的舞台，让她既提升了表演能力，也丰富了舞台经验。

来到重庆芭蕾舞团，Sakura还遇到了一个极大的挑战—中国古典舞。她此前并未接触过中国古典舞，初学时进度较慢，但她乐在其中，通过刻苦地练习，她学会了将中国古典舞与芭蕾舞巧妙地融合，赋予芭蕾艺术更多的中国神韵和艺术特质，呈现出中西合璧的芭蕾表现形式。

在重庆的近一年时间里，Sakura参演了《胡桃夹子》《幻妆芭蕾》《动物狂欢曲》《死水微澜》《追寻香格里拉》《百年红梅颂》等多台芭蕾舞剧，演出共计50余场，随团到过成都、广州等城市演出，去过重庆潼南、永川、酉阳、黔江等区县表演，几乎跑遍了重庆所有的剧场，让她更加全面地了解了重庆的风土人情。其中，今年4月21日，重庆芭蕾舞团的《百年红梅颂》还亮相了哥伦比亚胡里奥·马里奥·圣多明戈大剧院国际舞蹈季云展演，为全球200多万观众呈现极具东方舞韵的芭蕾盛宴，Sakura就参演其中。

工作之余，Sakura会学习中文，也喜欢和朋友们一起探索重庆。南山、南滨路、十八梯……这些极具重庆特色的地方都有她的足迹。讲到这些，Sakura直呼：“重庆太美啦！”不仅美景醉人，麻辣美食更是让她大饱口福。重庆火锅、重庆小面、麻辣烫、毛血旺、抄手等都是她的心头好。

希望重庆与曼谷开展更多文化交流

2011年9月，重庆与曼谷结为友好城市。曼谷是第一个与重庆建立友城关系的外国首都城市。作为一个曼谷女孩，Sakura也因此对重庆增添了一份喜爱。

Sakura眼中的重庆是现代化国际大都市，现代的摩天大楼、跨江大桥与老街、古道新旧融合，在历史传承与时代发展的碰撞中，构筑了属于重庆的经典。每当夜幕降临，万千灯火更是璀璨迷人。

“重庆还是一座开放、包容的城市。”Sakura说，在重庆生活的外国人都对这里不吝赞美。街上有很多外国餐厅，能让生活在这座城市的外国人品尝到家乡风味，更好地工作和生活。相信未来将吸引更多的外国企业、外国人来此投资兴业。

谈及重庆与家鄉曼谷，Sakura表示，作为一名芭蕾舞演员，希望重庆和姐妹城市曼谷能开展更多的文化交流活动，通过互访演出、学习交流，增进两地的相互了解和友谊。待疫情过后，希望两地的芭蕾舞演员可以多多交流学习，为观众呈现更多精彩的芭蕾舞剧。

“重庆历史悠久，曼谷同样底蕴深厚，欢迎重庆人民去我的家乡曼谷做客，亲身领略其城市魅力，我也会向亲朋好友推荐重庆山水。”

》》》拓展阅读

2011年6月，为庆祝中泰建交36周年，重庆与曼谷在曼谷暹罗剧场联合举办泰国重庆文化周活动，加强中泰两国的文化交流。重庆文化代表团多次赴曼谷访问演出。

2011年9月，重庆与曼谷结为友好城市。曼谷是泰国的首都，是政治、经济、文化、教育、交通中心。

2012年、2015年，重庆分别组织高校师生赴曼谷参加友好城市青年交流活动，增进友谊。曼谷也于2013年至2016年组织高校师生和华裔青少年代表团来渝访问，参加文化交流活动。

图片/重庆芭蕾舞团提供