In September 2026, Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre will present its acclaimed dance drama Odes To Heroes in Malaysia. As a key event of the “2026 Guangzhou Culture Week,” the production aims to offer international audiences a captivating showcase of Lingnan’s cultural depth, infused with contemporary relevance. As fine works of Chinese stage art, Odes To Heroes from the “Lingnan Trilogy” have won numerous accolades on domestic stages with their unique dance vocabularies and profound spiritual cores.
The dance drama Odes To Heroes centres the Yingge Dance, renowned as the “Chinese Martial Dance”. Through the fantasy time-space journey of the young man Chen Xinyuan, it recreates the struggle, history, and deep sense of family and country of the ancestors in the Chaoshan hometown of overseas Chinese when they “headed to Southeast Asia”. The drama skillfully integrates Lingnan folk elements such as Qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters), Chaoshan Opera, woodcarving, and handmade beef balls. Coupled with creative dance choreography and stunning audio-visual effects, it perfectly combines the profundity of traditional culture with innovative stage technology.
Echoes of the “Journey to Southeast Asia” memories: Cultural resonance strikes
For Chinese in Southeast Asia, the “Journey to Southeast Asia” is not just a chapter in books, but the real-life path of their ancestors. In the dance drama Odes To Heroes, the “overseas journey” stories connected by three Qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters) – the father’s long journey to Southeast Asia and the family letters travelling across the ocean – are an emotional microcosm of countless overseas Chinese families. When the Yingge drumsticks strike and the oil-paper lanterns light up on the stage, many Southeast Asian Chinese audience members sigh, “As soon as the Chaoshan dialect chanting starts, I can’t help but shed tears.” Through the form of dance drama, it will transform “homesickness” from an abstract emotion into a concrete image on the stage, achieving a spiritual resonance that transcends national boundaries.
Culture “breaks into new circles and goes global”, innovating language expressions to revitalize traditions
The “breaking-through-circles and going-global” of the dance drama Odes To Heroes stems from the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture. In terms of artistic expression, the dance drama Odes To Heroes boldly introduces Chaoshan dialect rapping and multimedia fantasy-realm narration, using the technique of “combining the virtual and the real” to bring intangible cultural heritage elements to life on the stage. This youthful and fashionable expression not only attracts 80% of the China young audience, but also enables the mainstream overseas audience to have an intuitive perception of “Chinese intangible cultural heritage” and “Lingnan characteristics”. The tour of the dance drama Odes To Heroes to Southeast Asia marks the transformation of Lingnan culture from “skill display” to “value export”, serving as a vivid illustration of cultural confidence going global.
Skill and art unite, suffusing the stage with charm.
While retaining the authentic Lingnan charm, the repertoire of this tour has been specially adjusted for JEFFREY CHEAH Performing Arts Center’s stage. The dance drama Odes To Heroes utilizes modern stage-art devices and multi-temporal narration to blend the sonorous rhythm of Yingge drumsticks with the delicate emotions of Chaoshan culture creating a visual feast.
Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre hopes that through the dance drama Odes To Heroes, audiences in Southeast Asia and even around the world can experience the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, and further promote international cultural exchanges and enhance people-to-people connectivity. A rare masterpiece combining breathtaking visuals and rich cultural heritage, this flagship production runs for three shows only—don’t miss your chance to experience this extraordinary spectacle live!
Show information:
Dance Drama Odes To Heroes
Date & Time:
Sept. 25, 2026 7:30pm
Sept. 26, 2026 2:30pm & 7:30pm
Venue: The Grand Theatre, SUNWAY JEFFREY CHEAH Performing Arts Center)
Ticket Price:
RM328.00 – Cat 1
RM268.00 – Cat 2
RM188.00 – Cat 3
RM128.00 – Cat 4
RM88.00 – Cat 5
Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.cloudjoi.com/shows/7232-odes-to-heroes
