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Tangram x LSO: Bound/Unbound

By Alex Ho and Sun Keting

Three members of Tangram stand with eyes shut, heads resting on each other's shoulders

Join trailblazing LSO St Luke's Associate Artists, Tangram, for the premiere of a new music theatre interweaving the stories of two of China’s 19th century heroines: Afong Moy and Qiu Jin.

Growing up with bound feet in the feudal Qing Dynasty, Afong Moy in 1834 became the first Chinese woman to be brought to America, where she was displayed before the public as a ‘Chinese Curiosity’. Half a century later, Qiu Jin, a young revolutionary, challenged the stifling Manchu culture and changed the fate of women by unbinding her feet and taking up the art of sword fighting. Poet, author of manifestos, and leader of a revolutionary community, Qiu Jin was determined to save her country from the corrupt Qing government. These two women, bound and unbound, together compose a symphonic dance, a protest against the world of patriarchy into which they were born.

Running time: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval

Co-produced by Tangram and the LSO with generous support from the Bagri Foundation

LSO St Luke's