This director lacks vision.

Chapter 336 The Last Spot

At 7 p.m. on September 5, Tang Shiyi finished her last set of strength training in the training room inside the Huaguo Opera and Dance Theater, her practice clothes soaked with sweat.

She has broad shoulders, and although her arms are long, they are not slender; on the contrary, they are rather thick.

After strength training, the muscle definition in my arms became more pronounced.

Many people have a misconception that professional dancers all have long and slender limbs, which makes them look better.

Not really.

There are many voluptuous beauties in the field of classical dance.

One reason for this is that classical dance requires a sense of power in its movements, so maintaining strength training is essential, especially core strength.

On the other hand, classical dance often features loose-fitting traditional costumes and various ribbon attire.

If you're too slender, you won't be able to fill out these clothes, and it won't look good when you dance.

Tang Shiyi is a top-notch classical dancer who excels in body management and daily training.

Therefore, in many still photos, Tang Shiyi appears to have broad shoulders and thick arms.

But as long as you start moving and dancing, your dance moves will be very graceful.

This is actually a correct aesthetic view.

Dance is an art form that uses the body to express vitality; health is the most beautiful thing.

Dances like ballet, which feature abnormally thin figures, simply don't offer any aesthetic appeal.

"Tangtang! Great news! Fantastic news!"

Tang Shiyi wiped her sweat and was about to change her clothes to leave work when she heard her colleague Zhang Danxia shout excitedly.

She asked with a smile, "What good news?"

Zhang Danxia jogged over and excitedly said, "I was just delivering documents to Director Wu when I overheard them chatting. They said that this year, Director Jiang Yifeng will be directing the Spring Festival Gala and will increase the proportion of song and dance programs, especially dance."

Director Jiang has now begun recruiting dancers from major opera houses and professional dance institutions, including for the opening solo dance!

This was the opening solo dance of the Spring Festival Gala!

At this point, Zhang Danxia sighed before continuing, "I'm not good enough, so I definitely won't be chosen for the opening solo dance."

"Tangtang, you're the most amazing dancer of our generation! Hurry up and sign up; you'll definitely get selected!"

Tang Shiyi is 23 years old this year and has already won the Taoli Cup Gold Award twice, the Lotus Award, the Five-One Project Award, and the Wenhua Award. She is already a national first-class actress.

Among young female dancers, her honors and strength are indeed top-tier.

Tang Shiyi was also moved by Zhang Danxia's words.

A solo dance at the opening of the Spring Festival Gala—although we don't know what kind of dance it is, everyone would want that opportunity.

However, Tang Shiyi wasn't very excited. She sighed and said, "I'm a little embarrassed to go to Director Jiang Yifeng's casting call, since I stood him up before."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Danxia choked up, only then remembering that Tang Shiyi had participated in the first season of Produce 101.

As the dance champion of the first season, Tang Shiyi was once ranked first in popularity and finally got the chance to debut, but she gave up debuting in a girl group.

However, unlike Liu Meihan and Jin Chen, Tang Shiyi did not choose to debut or sign with another company. Instead, she continued to work at the China National Opera and Dance Theatre.

She didn't debut at the time mainly out of professional pride as a dancer.

Tang Shiyi felt that after more than ten years of dancing and training hard every day, she couldn't accept the fact that she would have to dance some dynamic dances with little technical skill with a girl group.

She hopes to become a dance master like Yang Liping, and use all her knowledge on the professional stage.

Her family and teachers also advised her in the same way, so Tang Shiyi gave up her chance to debut at that time.

However, after these three years of development, Tang Shiyi also felt somewhat lost and regretful, feeling that she had been too young before.

The development space for professional dancers is too small. She has done her best in all aspects and won many honors, but her income and fame are not as good as when the first season of Produce 101 just ended.

In February of this year, Tang Shiyi participated in the "Dance Masters" program on Dragon TV.

After appearing on the show, she was ridiculed by a large number of viewers.

Tang Shiyi previously chose to pursue a career as a professional dancer, and many viewers admired her for this, feeling that she possessed the flair of a professional dancer.

Now that he's backing out and is still trying to gain attention by participating in variety shows, he seems a bit clownish, so he can't blame people for being sarcastic.

Tang Shiyi herself accepted the ridicule and insults from the audience, and she felt very embarrassed.

Zhang Danxia thought for a moment and still advised, "Director Jiang is a big shot with a lot of magnanimity. You were just a newcomer before and didn't go to other companies, so you're different from Jin Chen and the others."

This is a rare opportunity for me to have a solo dance at the opening of the Spring Festival Gala; I may never have this chance again.

I'd feel it's a shame if you didn't seize this opportunity.

Tang Shiyi nodded and said, "You keep it up too."

Then I left the training facility.

She took a quick shower and, instead of going home, went to a light meal restaurant.

After ordering a light meal with low calories, Tang Shiyi ate dinner while watching a live stream on her phone.

Tonight is the finale of Produce 101 Season 2, and the competition will be broadcast live by Sohu Video.

It's 7:55 now, and the live stream will start in 5 minutes. The number of viewers in the live stream room has already exceeded 200 million.

The live chat was filled with comments, some expressing anticipation for the exciting finals, and others cheering on their favorite contestants.

Seeing this, Tang Shiyi was reminded of the first season's finale.

At that time, Fengxing Media was still a small company, and Sohu Video had never done a live broadcast with millions of viewers online. Everything was done through trial and error.

Tang Shiyi was also exploring in the same way.

At the time, she didn't realize what it meant for a live stream to have over 400 million viewers, nor did she realize how important the Produce 101 finale stage was.

Everything happened too fast and too easily.

Now, after three years of honing her skills, she understands how rare it is to have a big stage.

No matter how well you dance, it's meaningless if no one is watching.

The finals officially began at 8 p.m.

The venue for this year's finals is still the Wukesong Arena, which can accommodate more than 18,000 spectators.

After the program started, the screen was black.

A spotlight shone on the stage, where the seven beauties of the 101 Generation stood with their backs to the audience.

They didn't say anything, but the audience erupted in cheers.

Everyone stood up, cheering and applauding.

The live stream camera gave a wide shot, showing the girl group on stage not saying a word, just posing, while the audience below the stage screamed wildly.

This scene was truly stunning, fully demonstrating the immense popularity of the 101 girl group.

Tang Shiyi watched with great envy.

About 30 seconds later, the cheers subsided, and the intro to a beautiful song began.

The melody is a blend of electronic music and traditional Chinese style.

The yangqin's tone is crisp and distinct, with a touch of cold metallic quality, which pairs very well with electronic sounds. When combined with the melodious and desolate sound of the xiao, it retains the narrative imagery of ancient-style songs while also having the fast pace of modern music, making it very catchy.

It's so catchy that you'll instantly fall in love with it after hearing it.

The screen also displayed the following subtitles: "Singing and dancing performance: Puppet Show; Performers: 101 Girl Group First Generation; Lyricist and composer: Jiang Yifeng; Choreographer: Jiang Yifeng."

Upon seeing Jiang Yifeng's name, Tang Shiyi immediately focused her attention.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments, with everyone eagerly anticipating Jiang Yifeng's creations.

As the music played, the members of the 101 girl group turned around one by one.

Naza is bright and exquisite, Zhang Tianai is heroic, Dilraba has exotic charm, Li Yitong is sweet and lively, Yang Caiyu is stubborn and aloof, Zhang Yuxi is cold and noble, and He Na has graceful curves.

The seven women stunned everyone upon their appearance, and their dance moves, accompanied by music, were graceful and captivating.

Tang Shiyi then realized that all seven women were wearing ancient costumes, except that the three hot and spicy women were wearing tight-fitting clothes, while the other four women had flowing ribbons and makeup.

After the opening dance, Naza took the lead in singing.

"Whom do you mock, flaunting your beauty? Without a heart, how can you be worthy of me?"

Zhang Tianai continued singing: "The bells chime crisply, the lamplight flickers dimly behind the curtains, you and I, a match made in heaven~"

A traditional Chinese opera performance, featuring ancient-style singing and dancing, showcased the most beautiful characteristics of a Chinese girl group.

This is what Tang Shiyi envies the most. Ever since the 101 girl group started singing ancient-style songs, she has regretted it.

She never imagined that girl groups could be played like this.

The performance continued, and on the stage, Yang Caiyu rotated to the front and began to sing in the style of Peking Opera.

"With delicate fingers, the mortal world flows like water; on the three-foot-high red stage, all things are sung and played."
Singing farewell, the sorrow is no longer sorrow, the most vibrant colors have turned to ashes~ May anyone remember whom, in the best years~

As soon as the opera-style singing began, Tang Shiyi felt her scalp tingle. The song was so beautiful and emotionally infectious.

The live stream chat was filled with "666" comments.

What's even more amazing is that the three hot and sexy girls, dressed in tight-fitting outfits, started dancing a robotic dance, like marionettes.

Li Yitong, He Na, and Zhang Yuxi danced a ribbon dance behind them, like puppeteers manipulating puppets.

With its interplay of strength and gentleness, yin and yang, this dance is a fusion of classical and modern dance, full of creativity and highly entertaining, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.

Tang Shiyi really liked the performance, but she was a little confused. The song "Puppet Show" sounded rather sad, so why was it used as the opening?

She quickly understood. When the song was sung for the second time, the big screen in the venue began to replay footage from the first season of Produce 101.

Those youthful yet expectant faces, those relentless training sessions, those spectacular matches, all the way to their debut in the finals.

It instantly transported everyone back to three years ago.

Tang Shiyi also saw her past self, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Then came footage of the 101 girl group's growth: their first album release, their first fan meeting, their first concert tour, their first appearance on the Spring Festival Gala...

Seeing this, many viewers realized that after tonight's finale, it would be the era of the second generation of 101 girl groups.

The activities of the first generation of groups will inevitably decrease significantly, and they will eventually become memories and stories.

Tonight's grand finale will be opened by the first generation of performers, which serves as both a transitional opening and a farewell from the starting point to the finish line.

A variety of emotions, such as nostalgia, reluctance to part, regret, and remembrance, naturally arise.

"The wind and snow are faint, autumn's white hair ends~ The lamplight is lush, and it wrinkles your brows~"
If you shed a single tear, if I can accompany you in your old age, even if we turn to ashes in the misty waves, it will be a perfect departure.

Listening to the lyrics in the opera style again evoked different emotions in everyone.

After the song ended, the 101 girl group gave an ending performance, just like at the beginning, with their backs to the audience.

The cheers from the audience were even louder than at the beginning, as if they were about to lift the roof off the stadium!
Everyone clapped and shouted as if they could preserve the group for generations.

Subsequently, many viewers witnessed a scene they would never forget.

The lights in the venue gradually dimmed, and the silhouettes of the seven women turned into specks of light, drifting toward one side of the stage.

As the camera followed, everyone then discovered that there were seven elevated seats on one side of the stage.

The points of light gathered in front of the seats and transformed into the image of the seven girls of the first generation of Produce 101.

Naza, Zhang Tianai, Dilraba, Li Yitong, Yang Caiyu, Zhang Yuxi, and He Na—their images in the film came to life, standing in front of their seats and waving to everyone.

This marks the first time AR technology has been used in a large-scale venue performance in China.

Although there are still some shortcomings, the audience who saw this scene for the first time were all incredibly shocked.

Moreover, the visuals are not just technical; they also tell a story.

After the seven women's 7D light and shadow finished their greeting, they turned back into points of light, forming a new image.

A group photo of the first generation of the girl group appeared on the big screen, along with the caption: "The first generation of the 101 girl group, going solo but not disbanding."

Although there were rumors before that the first generation of 101 members would go solo, there was no concrete evidence.

This is the official announcement of the girl group going solo, which means that there will be fewer and fewer opportunities for the next generation of groups to perform together.

Legendary stories may come to an end, but new stories continue.

The big screen began playing footage from the second season of Produce 101, and rousing music filled the air as the 30 finalists took to the stage one by one.

They stood in a fan shape facing the seven empty seats on the high platform.

Unlike the first season, the number of debut spots in the second season's 101 finale was fixed at 7.

Whoever meets both the judges' score and the popularity vote first will be the first to get the chance to debut.

The tense finals officially began, and surprisingly, Zhou Jieqiong was the first to meet the debut requirements.

Zhou Jieqiong studied pipa at Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated Middle School during junior high school, and later spent two and a half years as a trainee in Korea.

She is of average height and has a neither outstanding nor bad appearance. She has no weaknesses in singing, dancing, or playing musical instruments.

In terms of popularity, it has consistently hovered around the top ten.

Therefore, after the first round of competition, she received the highest overall score, meeting the debut requirements and becoming the first contestant to debut.

Subsequently, Cheng Xiao, Wang Churen, and Hanikezi also successfully debuted.

Only three spots remain for debut, but there are still many popular contestants.

Chen Duling, Yang Chaoyue, Zhang Ruonan, Bai Mengyan, Tan Yongwen, Li Yiran, Dou Jingtong, Zhou Ye, Wu Jiayi...

Yang Chaoyue and Chen Duling were the first and second place in the popularity vote, with their votes being very close and neck and neck.

Bai Mengyan ranked fourth.

Zhang Ruonan is known as "Little Li Yitong" because her healing smile has won her a lot of male fans.

Tan Yongwen is a professional dancer from the Beijing Dance Academy, but Li Yiran is even more impressive. She studied dance at the PLA Academy of Arts from a very young age and won the Taoli Cup Gold Award. She is the true dance champion of this competition.

Dou Jingtong naturally attracts attention and has many fans of Wang Fei who support her. Zhou Ye and Wu Jiayi also performed very well.

The remaining players all have weaknesses.

Either their singing, dancing, and other talents are insufficient, or their popularity and votes are not enough.

Anyone can debut or be eliminated.

This is a competition format deliberately designed by the production team to increase the excitement of the final.

In the third round of the competition, dance champion Li Yiran was eliminated because her popularity votes did not meet the target.

Tang Shiyi felt a pang of sympathy as she watched Li Yiran cry on stage.

Tang Shiyi was well aware of Li Yiran's dancing skills; she was definitely a top-tier dancer, so it was unexpected that she would be eliminated.

All I can say is that the format of this season's finals is even more brutal than that of the first season.

The seven debut spots are fixed.

As the competition continued, Zhang Ruonan and Yang Chaoyue secured two spots in the next round.

There's only one spot left.

The tense atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

In the fifth round of the competition, Chen Duling competed against her roommate Bai Mengyan. Chen Duling won and met the requirements for debut.

Everyone thought the competition was over, and Chen Duling got the last debut spot.

Unexpectedly, Chen Duling gave up her chance to debut, and she said on stage:
"I came to participate in the Produce 101 training camp mainly to meet my idol, Jiang Yifeng."

Now that I've met my idol, I have no regrets.

Although I know this opportunity to debut is precious and could make me a superstar, I still prefer to become a scientist.

After the show aired, many people laughed at me, saying I was a fake academic genius and that it was all an act.

I understand everyone's doubts and thoughts.

In this increasingly materialistic society, everyone is thinking about becoming famous and making money quickly, and it's becoming less and less believable that anyone is willing to settle down and study properly.

But I want everyone to know that there are still fools like me in this world, and there are quite a few of us in this group.

I'd rather learn and explore the truth than be a celebrity.

Thank you again for your support and love. I am declining this opportunity to debut.

Mu Di had written these words for Chen Duling in advance.

Chen Duling was a little guilty – if it weren't for the cheat code, she would still be willing to become a star; in essence, her desire to pursue her studies was not firm.

Therefore, Chen Duling seemed unsure of herself when she said these words. In addition, she was very nervous, so her expression was not very good. She not only stuttered a bit, but also forgot a lot of words.

But it turned out to be a lucky accident.

Chen Duling's poor expression only confirmed her persona as someone who is bad at speaking, while also making everyone feel that she was very sincere.

So after her speech, the entire audience stood up and applauded, cheering her on, and the live stream was filled with comments of respect and blessings.

It's important to know that this is no longer the first season of Produce 101.

In the first season, Fengxing Media was still a small company. No one could say for sure what the future held for the 101 girl group, and it was normal for some to give up their chance to debut.

But now Fengxing Media is the number one entertainment company in China, and the 101 girl group is already a top girl group in Asia.

Now that there's a chance to debut as a group, almost no one would give it up.

In this situation, Chen Duling's decision to give up her debut and firmly pursue a scientific research path required extraordinary courage.

Regardless of the outcome, at least for now, many viewers have acknowledged Chen Duling's status as a top student.

Chen Duling's character gradually becomes more fleshed out, from a perfect academic goddess to a surprisingly cute academic genius, and then to a true academic genius who "would rather do scientific research than be a celebrity."

Jiang Yifeng's plan has now come to a successful conclusion.

Meanwhile, in the live stream's voting area, Chen Duling's votes began to surge, widening the gap between her and Yang Chaoyue for the first time.

The vote-getter title is practically guaranteed.

After hearing Chen Duling's speech, Tang Shiyi's heart was no longer filled with hesitation, and she became determined again.

Although the path of a professional dancer is not as glamorous as that of a celebrity, it is enough for her to live a comfortable life.

In Tang Shiyi's heart, she still wants to become a master of classical dance.

Tang Shiyi suddenly realized that her experience in the Produce 101 training camp should be a precious memory, not a mental shackle.

With this in mind, she decided to sign up for the Spring Festival Gala solo dance audition and give her best performance.

The finals are still ongoing, and the number of viewers watching the live stream has exceeded 600 million!
With Chen Duling giving up her chance to debut, the last debut spot has become available again.

The atmosphere at the scene became tense again.

The camera focused on several key figures: Bai Mengyan, Zhou Ye, Dou Jingtong, Wu Jiayi, Tan Yongwen...

These are the people with the best chance of getting the last debut spot.

(End of this chapter)