Suzhou Ballet Theatre performance with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra breaks records

Ballet and dance- drama The Nutcracker by the Suzhou Ballet Theatre finished its four- day run at the National Convention Center in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Sunday, according to a press release from the theater.

A part of the Sino- Qatar Year of Cultural Exchange, the show marks the first collaboration between a Chi- nese troupe and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra ( QPO).

The show, which is now the highest- earning performance in the center’s history, presented a Chinese version of the Western ballet classic by combining Chinese elements into the choreography.

Apart from dancers from China, local children from the Qatar International Centre for Music also took part in the show, with rehearsals beginning right after the Chinese team arrived on November 5.

Kicking off in January, the Sino- Qatar Year of Cultural Exchange has involved a series of Chinese exhibitions and festivals in Qatar, while the QPO came to China for the first time on a concert tour of several cities in South China.

A key hub of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, Qatar was one of the first countries to join the “Belt and Road” initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.