{{Short description|Chinese choreographer (1931–2018)}} {{family name hatnote|Li|lang=Chinese}} '''Li Chengxiang''' ({{zh|c=李承祥}}; 1 October 1931 – 14 December 2018) was a Chinese ballet dancer, choreographer and educator. He was best known as one of the choreographers of ''Red Detachment of Women'', one of the most influential ballets of China. He served as Director of the National Ballet of China and received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the China Dancers Association.
== Biography == thumb|300px|A scene from ''The Red Detachment of Women'': soldiers of the Women's Detachment performing rifle drill in Act II, from the 1972 National Ballet of China production.
Li was born 1 October 1931 in Harbin, Heilongjiang province in Japanese-occupied Northeast China. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in March 1961.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-12-15 |title=舞剧《红色娘子军》编导之一李承祥逝世 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-12/15/c_1123858442.htm |access-date=2019-01-29 |website=Xinhua |language=zh}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2018-12-14 |title=原中央芭蕾舞团团长李承祥因病医治无效逝世 享年87岁 |url=http://www.chinanews.com/cul/2018/12-14/8702754.shtml |access-date=2019-01-29 |website=China News Service |language=zh}}</ref>
Together with Jiang Zuhui ({{lang|zh|蒋祖慧}}) and Wang Xixian ({{lang|zh|王希贤}}), Li choreographed the ballet ''Red Detachment of Women'', based on the popular 1961 film of the same name. It became one of the most influential ballets of China, now considered a "red classic". He also choreographed the ballet Mermaid.<ref name=":0" />
He created or co-created the ballets ''Ode to Yimeng'', ''Lin Daiyu'', ''Yang Guifei'', ''The Silk Road'', ''Goddess of Luo'', ''The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl'', among others. He also performed in many ballets including ''Swan Lake'', ''Giselle'', ''Notre Dame de Paris'', as well as ''Red Detachment of Women''.<ref name=":0" />
He served as Director of the National Ballet of China and trained many dancers.<ref name=":0" /> He received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the China Dancers Association. He was a delegate to the 4th National People's Congress.<ref name=":1" />
Li died on 14 December 2018 at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, aged 87.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Chengxiang}} Category:1931 births Category:2018 deaths Category:Chinese male ballet dancers Category:20th-century Chinese ballet dancers Category:Ballet choreographers Category:Male actors from Harbin Category:Writers from Harbin Category:Delegates to the 4th National People's Congress