A dramatic ballet, Eight Women Die a Martyr, staged by the Ballet Troupe of Liaoning, will integrate Chinese folk dance with an innovative style of ballet drama themed on China's revolutionary history. The dance presents the heroic 1938 story of eight female soldiers from the Manchurian Anti-Japanese United Army, who, in a desperate situation, wanted to cover the retreat of the main army force. They chose to die as martyrs by drowning in the nearby Wusihun River to avoid being captured by the enemy.[Photo by Li Mingming/For chinadaily.com]