What Pan treasures most are the virtues - bravery and filial piety - that she has learned from the story. The Hong Kong Dance Company senior dancer is determined to present them through an upcoming dance drama inspired by folklore, and reimagined by artistic director-choreographer Yang Yuntao and playwright Gerard Tsang Chu-chiu.
"It has been very physically demanding," says Pan of the rehearsal over the past two months. "I have to do what the male dancers do as well as show off some of the martial arts acts that I took up recently, which, strictly speaking, is not regarded as dance but is infused in the script to make me stand out from the crowd of warriors. I still haven't tried on the full costume yet; the heavy armour will make it a real challenge.
"What Hua embodies is the fact that women can be as tough as men, if not more so, and I'm fully embracing that spirit," she adds.
Yang's interpretation of the poem doesn't make it any easier for the actors. To better portray the harsh conditions of war and the hardship of soldiers, for instance, Yang and Tsang had the idea of fitting an inclined platform onstage for some scenes.
