By Jin Lu

At 8:30 p.m. local time on July 3, the 54th Marrakech Popular Arts Festival opened with a dazzling performance by the Ningbo Art Troupe. Blending tradition and modernity, the troupe presented several signature pieces that captivated the audience.

The program began with the "Golden Snake Dance", a classical Chinese piece in which dancers used silk fans to create a rapid fluttering effect, symbolizing a golden snake bringing good fortune. This was followed by a spectacular lion dance—an item on China's intangible cultural heritage list—performed by the Meishan Lion Dance Team. The routine combined elements of both northern and southern lion dance traditions with martial arts unique to Ningbo's Meishan area. One of the highlights featured dancers leaping from pole to pole, delivering a breathtaking display of balance, power, and precision.

The performance continued with "Charm of Jiangnan", a graceful dance evoking the misty landscapes of southern China, followed by "Ethnic Fusion Dance", a spirited celebration of China's ethnic diversity. Together, the pieces offered a vibrant, multidimensional portrait of Eastern culture to the Moroccan audience.

The Ningbo delegation—jointly formed by the Ningbo Performing Arts Group and the Beilun Meishan Lion Dance Team—was selected and supported by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism.

According to Shen Haidi, a nationally recognized inheritor of the Meishan lion dance tradition, the art form was designated as part of Ningbo's intangible cultural heritage in 2010. The Meishan troupe remains the only one in Zhejiang Province capable of performing the complex pole-hop routine. The group, made up of veteran performers and emerging talent, spent more than 20 days in intensive rehearsals, creating physically demanding new movements specifically for this overseas tour.