The city's newest theater began selling tickets today for 35 shows. The Shanghai International Dance Center Grand Theater is the first major facility in town designed specifically for dance performances.

The theater has seats for a little over 1 thousand people. Construction took four years to complete and the designer says there are no blind spots anywhere in the auditorium.

"I tried every seat to check if dance fans can enjoy a good view of the whole stage. We also invited many famous dancers from the world to visit the theater. They spoke highly of the whole design, including the interior color, space arrangement, which they thought were harmonious with the dancing art. I hope art fans can enjoy more good dance works here on this stage," said Le Shengli, project director of Shanghai Int'l Dance Center.

The city's newest theater began selling tickets today for 35 shows. The Shanghai International Dance Center Grand Theater is the first major facility in town designed specifically for dance performances.

The theater will hold its first show on October 1st -- a ballet version of "Hamlet". The show includes original choreography by the Shanghai Ballet Company. Other upcoming shows include 4 original works by the two resident companies of the dance center -- the Shanghai Ballet Company and Shanghai Dance Theater. Famous ballerina Tan Yuanyuan will put on a show as will Israel's Batsheva Dance Company.

There are currently more than 130 theaters in Shanghai and two opera houses are under construction at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the city's World Expo park.

The theater will hold its first show on October 1st -- a ballet version of "Hamlet". The show includes original choreography by the Shanghai Ballet Company.