A dance drama, The Butterfly Lovers, based on a traditional Chinese folk tale known as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet, will be staged at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Nov 5.

Produced and performed by faculty members and students from Beijing Dance Academy's classical Chinese dance department, the dance drama, directed and choreographed by Li Hengda, toured four cities of the United States - Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle - from Aug 25 to Sept 10 during the Sixth Across the Pacific-China Arts Festival.

Li, originally from Beijing and himself a Beijing Dance Academy graduate, came to Seattle in 1990 to dance with the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

On Sept 5, a teach and practice base was launched in Seattle, which is a cooperation between Beijing Dance Academy and Hengda Dance Academy, a Seattle-based school established by Li in 1993.