The first video below is an excerpt from a piece called Be Water by choreographer Gao Yanjinzi as performed by the Beijing Modern Dance Company (although a few sources also called the troupe the Zhengzhou Song and Dance Theater). The clip is part of a Chinese dance drama known as Shui Yue Luo Shen. Below the short is the full, nearly-two-hour-long ballet. It starts with some rather long Chinese titles, so if you want to skip to the dancing, start at minute four.

Inspired by the epic poem Ode to the Luohe Goddess by Wei Prince Cao Zhi (192-232), the ballet tells the tragic love story between Cao and a nymph, so of course, water plays a large part in the story. The element is represented by these gorgeous, impossibly-long pieces of delicate fabric that flow from the ceiling and truly look just like water. The choreography is just brilliant, and the way the performers interact with the fabric truly adds to the aquatic illusion.

I don’t seem to be able to find either the Zhengzhou Song and Dance Theater or the Beijing Modern Dance Company on the internet or social media, so we’ll just have to content ourselves with this beautiful performance. Enjoy!