“THE Flowers of War,” a 2007 novella by Chinese author Yan Geling and later adapted into a 2011 film by Zhang Yimou, will meet local audiences as a dance drama this Friday and Saturday.

Set during the Nanjing Massacre, which began in December 1937, the story unfolds primarily within the walls of St. Mary Magdalene Convent in East China. The convent’s caretaker, an American priest named Father Engelmann, along with a small staff, struggles to protect 16 schoolgirls who were left behind during the evacuation. Their already precarious situation grows more complicated when a group of women from a local brothel scales the convent walls, seeking refuge. Though unwelcome, the prostitutes cannot be turned away — they take shelter in the cellar while the schoolgirls remain hidden in the attic.

Initially, a Japanese officer assures Engelmann that the convent will be safeguarded by sentries posted at its entrance. Yet this fragile illusion of safety is shattered when the Japanese officer demands the girls to perform a choral piece. After their performance, he delivers an ominous “invitation”: the girls must attend the Japanese army’s victory celebration.

In a desperate act of defiance, the prostitutes step forward, disguising themselves as the students to confront the Japanese soldiers in their place. While these courageous women face an uncertain fate, the real schoolgirls escape the city in a truck.

The dance drama is directed by Lang Kun, a veteran television producer renowned for helming five CCTV Spring Festival Galas. He leads an exceptional creative team, including composer Fang Ming, stage designer Shang Tianbao, and choreographers Wei Sijia and Zhang Yuan. The production is brought to life by nearly 100 dancers from the Yanzhou Opera and Dance Drama Theater.

Historical records reveal that countless women suffered unimaginable horrors during the Japanese occupation in 1937. The “flowers of war” — the brothel women portrayed in the drama — serve as a poignant artistic representation of these victims. Through intricate choreography, the creative team illuminates both the resilience of ordinary people and the unspeakable atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders.

Time: 8 p.m., Sept. 5; 3 p.m., Sept. 6

Venue: Grand Theater, Longgang Cultural Center, Longgang District (龙岗文化中心大剧院)

Metro: Line 3 to Longcheng Square Station (龙城广场站), Exit D, then a 14-minute walk

(Li Dan)