The city's renowned dance company hopes their new production Lady of the Camellias can be one that lives on for the ages, Zhang Kun reports.

The Shanghai Ballet's new production The Lady of the Camellias premiered at the SAIC Shanghai Culture Square on Saturday, winning praise from several industry experts.

Zhao Ruheng, the former director of the National Ballet of China, praised the performance of the ballerinas and their understanding of theater.

"I have been following the news about the Shanghai Ballet," Zhao says. "This is a professional company who don't just show off their dance techniques, but also reach for further artistic expression and excellence.

"I see the whole company continuously pushing forward. I've watched some of the kids there grow from one competition to the next. They have developed so rapidly that I can hardly keep track."

Zhao also singled out lead ballerina Qi Bingxue as one of the dancers who impressed her the most, saying the ballerina has improved tremendously since she first saw her perform at the third Beijing International Ballet Competition in 2015.