DANCE

American Choreographer in Beijing: An American is choreographing a Chinese ballet in one of the first such cultural exchanges since China’s military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in June. Norman Walker, who teaches dance at Adelphi University in New York and has choreographed more than 150 dances, said that the romantic score he composed for the Central Ballet of China depicts a “natural growth in human affairs.” Walker said the ballet, based on Chinese composer Liu Dunnan’s piano concerto “The Mountain Forest,” attempts movements different from the rest of the Central Ballet’s repertoire “so as to expand their potential.” The ballet, based on an exchange planned before June, will open next Thursday in Beijing and feature 11 couples from the national troupe.