Qian Liu

Showered with awards 

Qian was never bothered by the proverbial ‘tough Chinese schooling’. “Like all the teachers, my regular teacher was exceptionally kind. Even when I couldn’t do something straight away, they thought ‘well, she’s such a hard worker, she’ll be able to do it like the best of them tomorrow’.” In the last year-and-a-half of her training, Qian took classes with Liaoning Ballet and, encouraged by the artistic director and her teachers, from then on she also entered various ballet competitions in East Asia and was showered with awards. And with the company, where she danced from 2006 to 2012, she was soon promoted to principal dancer. In that rank, she danced the main roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, La Sylphide and various Chinese ballets.
 

Only choice

She felt completely at home with Liaoning Ballet, too – “school and company: we were one big family” – but after a few years, she came to realise that she wanted to see more of the world and to expand her repertoire. And she knew immediately where she wanted to go: Dutch National Ballet, which was familiar to her from the company’s online videos. She says enthusiastically, “It really was the only choice for me, and it turned out to be a great one. I love it here so much!” The move to the Netherlands, however, was tough. “Everything was different! Amsterdam, the food, the supermarkets, the mentality and the lack of daylight after working hours in the wintertime. But most difficult of all was that I couldn’t communicate with others – as I didn’t speak a word of English. I felt really sorry for people when they talked to me and I couldn’t reply.” But nowadays, Amsterdam feels like a second home. “I love the peace and quiet. When I go on holiday to China, I’m almost shocked by the number of people.” 

Only choice 

She also felt at home with Liaoning Ballet - ‘school and company: we were one big family’ -, but after a few years she realised that she wanted to see more of the world and expand her repertoire. And she immediately knows where she wants to do that: with the Dutch National Ballet, which she knows from the company's online videos. Enthusiastically: ‘This was really the only choice for me and it turned out to be a great choice: I love it here so much!’ However, the move to the Netherlands was spicy. ‘Everything was different! Amsterdam, the food, the supermarkets, the mentality, the lack of daylight after working hours in the winter months. But the most difficult thing was that - because I didn't speak a word of English - I couldn't communicate with others. I really felt sorry for people when they talked to me and I couldn't say anything back.’ But now Amsterdam feels like a second home. ‘I love the peace and quiet. When I'm on holiday in China, the amount of people almost scares me.’

Preference for drama 

The first main roles she danced with Dutch National Ballet are important to her: Kitri in Don Quixote and Swanhilda in Coppelia, after which she was promoted to principal in 2016. But almost logically in view of her first experience, her preference is for very dramatic ballets. “It may sound weird, but I enjoy sad ballets so much.” The roles of Tatiana and Olga in Onegin, both of which she’s danced, are incredibly precious to her, and that of Giselle (in the ballet of the same name) takes the cake. “The first time I was allowed to dance that role, I cried regularly during rehearsals. I really felt her pain, and you have to as well. You have to believe that you’re her, because if you don’t believe it then how can the audience?” 

Model 

It’s now many years since Qian graduated from the Liaoning Ballet School, but the school has not forgotten her at all. Today’s dance students are regularly told by their teachers that they should model themselves on Qian, who was always in the studio and always working so hard. It makes her laugh, “When I go back to the school, I’m besieged by children all yelling excitedly, ‘Oh Qian, oh sister’.” But hard work is still something Qian does. She says matter-of-factly, “I just love ballet so much. If I’m in a bad mood, dancing makes me feel better again. For me, it’s real medicine.” 

Example

It has now been many years since Qian graduated from the Liaoning Ballet School, but she is far from forgotten within the school. Current dance students are regularly told by their teachers that they should follow Qian's example, who was always in the studio and always working very hard. She herself laughs: “When I get back to my school, I am besieged by children, all excitedly shouting, ‘O Qian, o sister’.” But working hard, Qian still does. Soberly, she says: “I just love ballet so much. When I am in a bad mood, dancing makes me feel better. It really is medicine for me.”

Text: Astrid van Leeuwen

Read more:

• Critics’ choice 2020: Maia Makhateli & Qian Liu in toplijst