Singer Li Yugang gazes at a painting during the auction.

 

Actor Li Zonghan and Wang Yuanyuan, president of BDT pose before the signing board at the auction. Photos: Courtesy of BDT

A non-profit dancer theater established in 2008, the Beijing Dance Theater (BDT) has been known for many works including Hamlet, The Haze and the Golden Lotus. Last Friday, BDT held its first charity auction in Beijing, gathering more than 140 entertainment celebrities, such as famous singer Li Yugang and actor Li Zonghan, entrepreneurs and artists to bid on nearly 100 art works including oil paintings, jewelry and calligraphy works.

Averaging no more than 100,000 yuan ($16,000), the art works come from varied sources including different galleries, auction companies, artists and even celebrities such as well-known actress Sun Li, whose large-scale calligraphy work Namo Amita Buddha (Homage to the Buddha) attracted many eyeballs that night.

According to Wang Yuanyuan - president of BDT and a chorographer who has worked on many big-name films by directors such as Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang, including Feng's The Banquet in 2006 - all the money from the auction will be used to establish a fund  to purchase the copyrights of internationally acclaimed dance works, as well as provide dance education for handicapped children.

Global Times