Published on Oct 31, 2026

Rating:

Genre: Dance & Ballet

Dates: November 18-19, 2026

Venue: Tianqiao Performing Arts Center

Prices: 100, 280, 380

Features: An innovative cross-media contemporary dance drama The Becoming Stone will be performing at Beijing Tianqiao Arts Center from November 18th-19th, 2026.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

The Becoming Stone is an innovative cross-media contemporary dance theatre blending physical performance, puppetry, traditional ethnic folk music and interactive particle visuals.

Inspired by the ancient Chinese myth of Nüwa mending the sky, it tells the story of an ordinary stone rejected for the great mission. After grinding itself smooth and losing its true form, the stone embarks on a journey to discover its own light and value.

Awards: Best Asia Award at Edinburgh Fringe 2026 (Derek Award). It has been highly praised by British theatre critics and staged at international festivals across the globe.

SYNOPSIS

360 million years ago, Guilin was once a vast expanse of ocean.

An ordinary stone awakens amid the shifting tides of land and sea and the ebb and flow of wind and rain. It longs to be chosen by Nüwa to become the multicolored stone used to mend the heavens; thus, it collides and is polished by the raging currents, relentlessly chipping away its sharp edges.

But when it finally becomes polished and well-mannered, it discovers that it has lost its original form.

A reunion with gravel allows it to face itself once again. Having failed to enter the Legend of the Sky-Mender, how can it find its own value?

This is a contemporary fable originating from ancient mythology in China, written for ordinary people.

Four dancers jointly manipulate a giant original puppet, breathing life into it through their movement, rhythm, and seamless coordination.

Rooted in the imagery of traditional Chinese culture, it takes shape on stage as a living entity capable of engaging in eye contact with others.

Seawater, mountain ranges, wind and rain, and fissures flow between the dancer's body and the dynamic imagery.

Dance carries emotion; light and shadow unfold the world as seen through the eyes of a Becoming Stone. With almost no dialogue, the story can directly touch the heart..

From the echoes beneath the seabed to the rhythm of dragon boat drums, original music and traditional ethnic percussion drive the emotional flow, guiding the audience into the inner world of Wanshi.

After stumbling and being tempered by the elements, the sound of the wind and the sound of water allow it to hear itself once more.

Tickets for Dance Drama The Becoming Stone are Available now