CHINA IN TOWN

Wang Yuanyuan choreographed for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, but her new three-part Wild Grass, opening tonight at the Harvey, could not be further across the political spectrum. Performed by the Beijing Dance Theater on three special floors, it’s inspired by the poetry of Lu Xun (1881-1936), an iconic left-wing writer. Wang, who holds an MFA from CalArts, is that rare creature, a woman director of an internationally acclaimed modern-dance troupe. Returning to the Next Wave Festival after a visit in 2011, she makes dances that wrangle contemporary social issues as well as erotic pieces drawn from banned Chinese texts. Steeped in ballet tradition, she’s worked with contemporary filmmakers and composers; Wild Grass features an original score by Su Cong, whose music for The Last Emperor won an Oscar.

Wednesdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Starts: Oct. 15. Continues through Oct. 18, 2014