China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG) presents the New York debut of the award-winning dance drama MULAN produced and performed by China Ningbo Performance & Arts Group, with four performances only from September 18-20, 2026 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC. Performances: Fri & Sat at 7:30pm, Sat at 1:30pm, Sun at 2:30pm. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased online https://www.davidhkochtheater.com/tickets-and-events/mulan.

 

“A remarkable and compelling re-telling of a quintessentially Chinese tale.”

– METRMAG

 

Winner of the China Dance Lotus Award, the highest honor in Chinese dance, MULAN is a sweeping, visually resplendent dance drama that reimagines one of China’s most enduring legends for global audiences. In that legend shaped by filial piety, bravery, and the yearning for peace, a young Chinese heroine disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place on the battlefield — and rises to eternal renown. Beyond depicting a warrior’s journey, it unfolds a profound narrative of self-identity, inner growth, and human compassion — the story of a woman who stands firm for her family, her homeland, and her true self.

 

Created by award-winning choreographers Zhou Liya and Han Zhen, the production masterfully merges classical Chinese dance, martial arts, and epic theatrical aesthetics into a powerful movement language. Where traditional retellings focus solely on Mulan’s heroism, this interpretation reveals her grace, vulnerability, and unwavering longing for peace.

 

Performed by an elite cast of dancers from China Ningbo Performance & Arts Group and headlined by Hao Ruoqi, Principal Dancer of China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, MULAN delivers impeccable technical precision paired with profound emotional depth. Hao Ruoqi embodies Mulan with rare grace, strength, and agility, transitioning effortlessly between the rigor of military discipline and the lyrical softness of womanhood, capturing the core spirit of the iconic character. Xia Tian (as the male lead General Wei) also delivers brilliant performance.

 

Central to the production is a monumental 15-meter revolving stage, which acts as a quiet yet expressive presence: heightening the intensity of battle scenes, framing intimate emotional moments, and symbolizing the cycle of life, war, and remembrance. Complemented by exquisitely crafted period costumes and atmospheric lighting, the design elevates an ancient legend into an immersive contemporary theatrical experience — where East meets West, tradition meets innovation, and history comes vividly to life. Evocative original music weaves traditional Chinese folk instruments with dramatic symphonic orchestration. Transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries, it resonates with universal values: loyalty, sacrifice, self-discovery, and the eternal pursuit of peace.

A flagship production of CAEG’s Image China initiative, MULAN makes its New York debut at the David H. Koch Theater this fall. Majestic and unmissable, MULAN is far more than a dance drama — it is a timeless human story crafted for the world stage.

 

Creative Team

Chief Directors / Choreographers: Zhou Liya, Han Zhen

Playwright: Zhu Hai

Composition: Du Ming

Executive Directors: Li Chao, Lv Zimin

Set Design: Tan Ze’en

Lighting Design: Han Jiang

Costume Design: Wang Yukuan

Make-up Design: Jia Lei

Choreographers: Han Zhen, Zhou Liya, Lv Zimin, Li Chao, Liu Wei

 

Leading Roles (Casting Subject to Change)

Mulan: Hao Ruoqi

General Wei: Xia Tian

Rou’er: Wu Wei

Mulan’s Father: Wang Zheng

Little Mulan: Liu Siyu

Eunuch: Du Boyan

 

Artist Bios

Zhou Liya (Chief Director / Choreographer)

A graduate of the Choreography Department at Beijing Dance Academy, Zhou Liya is a resident choreographer and stage director with the China Oriental Song and Dance Troupe. Certified as a National Outstanding Expert by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, she received the 13th, 14th and 18th Wenhua Director Award. Her productions have won the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Grand Wenhua Award, the 10th and 11th Lotus Award for Chinese Dance Drama, plus the 13th, 14th and 15th Best Works Award. Many of her pieces were selected for China’s National Program for Excellent Stage Art and have toured internationally to iconic venues including the Sydney Opera House, EU Headquarters, United Nations Headquarters, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. Her signature dance dramas include The Journey of a Legendary Landscape, Wing Chun, The Eternal Waves, Mulan, Dragon Boat Racing and Du Fu.

 

Han Zhen (Chief Director / Choreographer)

Han Zhen joined the China Oriental Song and Dance Troupe in 2019 and currently works as a graduate advisor at Beijing Dance Academy. She is a winner of the 14th and 18th Wenhua Director Award, as well as the “Best Choreographer” honor at the 6th CCTV National Dance Competition. Her productions earned three consecutive Grand Wenhua Awards and three consecutive Best Works Awards, along with two back-to-back Lotus Awards for Chinese Dance Drama. Two of her pieces were selected for the National Program for Excellent Stage Art. Her stage works have toured globally to the Sydney Opera House, EU Headquarters, United Nations Headquarters, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. Her well-known choreographed productions are The Journey of a Legendary Landscape, Wing Chun, The Eternal Waves, Mulan, Dragon Boat Racing and Du Fu.

 

Hao Ruoqi (as Mulan)

Hao Ruoqi is a core principal dancer with China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater. She starred as lead principal in Rainbow Bridge, which took home the Gold Medal at the 9th National Lotus Cup Dance Competition. She also served as principal dancer for award-winning dance dramas Du Fu and Mulan, both recipients of the Lotus Award for Chinese Dance Drama. Her extensive performance credits also include acclaimed stage pieces such as full-length dance dramas The Door, Integrate, and Cargantua, plus standalone dance works The Mist, No Complaints, Confusion, I Go Beyond Myself, Inside and Outside, The Landscape, and Dance of the Sea.

 

Xia Tian (as General Wei)

A graduate of the Classical Dance Department at Beijing Dance Academy, Xia Tian currently holds the title of principal dancer at Ningbo Song and Dance Theater. He has featured in numerous prize-winning productions that earned the 11th Lotus Award for Chinese Dance Drama, the Orchid Award from the 14th Zhejiang Provincial Drama Festival, Gold Medal at the 11th Zhejiang Music & Dance Festival, and recognition among the Top 10 Works at Zhejiang’s 2nd Jiangnan Rhythm Dance Competition. He is named one of Ningbo City’s “Six Batch” Outstanding Talents. His signature performance roles appear in dance dramas Mulan, Xian Xinghai, The Great Harbor in the East, The Red Dress, Ink Wash, and The Road to Heaven.

 

About China Arts and Entertainment Group

China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG) was established in April 2004, with its major subsidiaries, China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA) and China International Exhibition Agency (CIEA), tracing their origins back to 1957 and 1950, respectively. As the exclusive central state-owned cultural enterprise in China with a global footprint in performance and exhibition businesses, CAEG has cultivated a nationwide market network encompassing international performing arts, art exhibitions, cultural tourism, and theater operations. With branches in key Chinese cities and selected European and American locales, CAEG operates under the guiding principle of “Starting from China and going global,” earning a spot among the “Top 30 China Cultural Enterprises” for eight consecutive years since 2009. Annually, CAEG presents over 5,000 diverse performances, exhibitions, and cultural activities both domestically and internationally, showcasing a commitment to cultural exchange and artistic excellence.

 

Since 2009, CAEG has presented a series of productions in the U.S., such as Forbidden Fruit under the Great Wall (Kennedy Center, 2010), Silk Road (Kennedy Center, 2011; Lincoln Center, 2013), The Peony Pavilion (Lincoln Center, 2012), Qingming Riverside (Kennedy Center, 2013), Wedding of Ordos (Kennedy Center, 2014), The Red Dress (Lincoln Center, 2014), The Legend of Mulan (Lincoln Center, 2015), Dragon Boat Racing (Lincoln Center, 2016; Kennedy Center and Kimmel Center, 2018), Confucius (Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center, 2017), Soaring Wings (Lincoln Center and Boch Center, 2018), Princess Zhaojun (Boch Center and Lincoln Center, 2019), Mulan(Boch Center and Kennedy Center, 2023), Dongpo: Life in Poems (Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center, 2024), The Butterfly Lovers (Lincoln Center, 2025)

 

About China Ningbo Performance & Arts Group

China Ningbo Performance & Arts Group is the sole municipal state-owned performing arts troupe in Ningbo. It has created nearly 90 large-scale stage productions, among which 56 are original works. Its most internationally renowned pieces feature dance dramas Mulan, Xian Xinghai, Harbor of the Orient and opera Tu Youyou. Its productions have claimed 39 national honors including the Best Works Award and the Lotus Award for Chinese Dance Drama, alongside 57 provincial-level awards. More than ten productions have secured funding support from the China National Arts Fund and Zhejiang Provincial Arts Fund, placing the group among China’s top-tier professional arts companies in both the volume and artistic quality of original stage works. The group’s performances tour extensively across China and overseas territories including France, the United States, Germany, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Madagascar and Bulgaria, showcasing Ningbo’s profound and distinctive regional culture to global audiences.