Hamburg Ballett · XIE XIN
The Moon In The Ocean | World Premiere: 22 Feb 2026 | Hamburg Ballet Theatre, Germany
Quietness of the Moonlit Night
Reflection on the Ocean’s Mirror
Whose Name is Written on the Water
The Sea of the Subconscious
Phases of the Moon
Eternal Light
Credits
Choreographer: Xie Xin
Composer: Sylvian WANG
Set Designer: Hu Yanjun
Costumes Designer: Li Kun
Lighting Designer : Gao Jie
Rehearsal Assistant: Tu Yuchen
Artistic coordinator: Liu Zhonglei-Xiexin Dance Theatre
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Ineffable poetic charm resides in the cycle of crescent and full moon; the shimmering sea ripples sway the empty realm of life. The pure, luminous world is mirrored in the sea of the heart. The deep ocean of the subconscious lies beyond reach, sometimes imperceptible, sometimes surging out of balance. The moon’s shadow dancing on the water’s surface stirs the heart; a fleeting calm stills time and space for a moment. Sinking into the moon-shadowed seabed amid flowing stillness, we let insight linger for an instant. Close your eyes to gaze into the sea of your heart; open your eyes to behold the moon’s shadow. Moonlight sways in the sea’s shimmering waves— time flows unceasingly, and the moon’s shadow takes shape within the soul.
Q&A：
Vivien Arnold: How did you come up with the title The Moon in the Ocean?
Xie Xin: The Chinese title of my work could also be translated as Diving into the Moon’s Shadow. But the imagery of the ocean was important to me, which is why we translated it as The Moon in the Ocean.
We have two “moons” – the real one and its reflection. And I have two figures – one is “flesh” and the other is like a “floating thought”. At the beginning, the flesh and the thought are separate from each other, as if thoughts are blown away by the wind, like the wind between sky and ocean. It’s like being alone with oneself.
The second part is about the individual in their environment, for example in the ocean or with someone else. The third part introduces the reflection of moonlight on the ocean. And this reflection is like something that influences you very deeply – for example, someone you love, or something that is truly close to your heart.
Then the moon interacts with the ocean, and that is like interacting with someone: when the “ocean of the heart” is affected and the pressure changes as a result. Then we dive into the deepest part of the ocean, the part we cannot control: the deepest layers of our subconscious.
But the two moons will also unite and become one – like a full moon, creating inner peace when flesh and thought become one.
And at the end, we ask: Whose name is written on the water? We are all human beings, and we will all write our own stories; we will all see our faces reflected in the ocean of life. And all of this will disappear again with the next waves… But something is released by each individual: our thoughts, how we have influenced the world, how we have touched or inspired people – and these things will last much longer than the flesh.
Essentially, with my human eyes and heart, I have tried not to tell the story of a single person, but the story we all share.