Annotations on the Material of “The Red Detachment of Women” [l]
(November 26, 1964)


To be forwarded to Liu, Zhou, Deng, and Peng for their review.121
[1]
From October 31 to November 9, 1964, the Ballet Troupe of the Central Opera and Dance Drama Theater staged for the first time in Shenzhen, Bao’an County, Guangdong Province, the modern ballet “The Red Detachment of Women” and the classical ballet “Swan Lake.” The performances were warmly applauded by over 7,000 spectators from Hong Kong. It was unprecedented for Hong Kong audiences to express such fervent demand to come to Shenzhen to see the shows; some began queuing at 5 p.m. one day and spent the night outdoors waiting to purchase tickets. Labor organizations in Hong Kong requested a special performance of “The Red Detachment of Women” exclusively for workers, with many workers willing to forgo a day’s wages—some even risking dismissal—in order to attend. Most surprisingly, the audience’s acclaim for “The Red Detachment of Women” far surpassed that for “Swan Lake.” Whether in casual conversations among spectators or during panel discussions, there was unanimous recognition of the reforms introduced in this ballet: it not only preserved the traditional techniques of classical ballet but also enriched its content, technical repertoire, and performance style. Originally scheduled for four performances, “The Red Detachment of Women” was subsequently given two additional shows due to overwhelming public demand. Each performance was met with an enthusiasm and atmosphere rarely seen even within mainland China. In contrast, “Swan Lake” had one of its three planned performances canceled.
[2]
Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at the time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Peng refers to Peng Zhen, who at the time was a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.


People must make revolution.
Mao Zedong
November 26th