When Red Classics Meet Generation Z: A Study on the Peak Experience and Repurchase Behavior of Dance Dramas——A Case Study of “The Eternal Wave”

Abstract

As of February 22, 2026, the red-themed dance drama “The Eternal Wave,” produced and performed by the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble, has completed over 800 commercial and public performances nationwide. With its profound ideological content, exquisite artistic presentation, and strong emotional resonance, it continues to lead the domestic red-themed stage art market. It has gradually grown into a phenomenal benchmark work that combines ideological height, artistic precision, and market popularity. It is also a classic paradigm for how high-quality new-era red literary and artistic works can achieve cross-circle dissemination and long-term operation. This research report takes the dance drama “The Eternal Wave” as its core empirical case. From an interdisciplinary perspective encompassing cultural industry management, art communication, consumer behavior, and youth culture studies, it systematically integrates and comprehensively applies multiple research paradigms, including bibliometric research, in-depth analysis of typical cases, large-sample questionnaire surveys, in-depth interviews with industry professionals and audience groups, and big data mining analysis based on new media platforms and ticket consumption data. The study focuses on the communication dilemmas and breakthrough paths for new-era red dance dramas within the youth cultural field. It systematically and deeply explores key theoretical and practical issues, such as: how red dance dramas can precisely reach and deeply move the core Gen Z audience; how to effectively achieve a closed loop of conversion from the first viewing experience to sustained repurchase consumption behavior; and how to promote the rejuvenation, fashionization, and popularization of classic red IPs in the context of youth subcultures.The report, based on a comprehensive review of relevant research on red literary and artistic communication and youth cultural consumption both domestically and internationally, combines the growth background, values, aesthetic preferences, and consumption habits of Generation Z. It deeply analyzes the internal logic, value propositions, and emotional core of their cultural consumption behavior, precisely extracting and systematically explaining the core characteristics and behavioral patterns of Gen Z cultural consumption. With this premise, the report uses user experience theory and the peak experience model as its analytical framework. From multiple dimensions such as narrative construction, audiovisual language, emotional narrative, value transmission, and interactive experience, it meticulously deconstructs the multi-layered, immersive, and highly recognizable “peak experience” system that “The Eternal Wave” has carefully designed and crafted for Gen Z aesthetic preferences and reception habits. It reveals the internal mechanism of breaking through the traditional red-themed narrative paradigm and achieving value guidance through artistic expression. Concurrently, integrating consumer decision theory and fan culture theory, the study deeply explores the core driving mechanisms that prompt Gen Z audiences to repurchase dance dramas, actively spread them, and even form community identity. It systematically identifies the practical obstacles and deep-seated bottlenecks that restrict the enhancement of repurchase willingness and the expansion of dissemination scope.Furthermore, based on the current overall development ecology of the red dance drama industry, the report, through horizontal comparison and vertical analysis, summarizes the common problems and structural shortcomings existing in the industry concerning content creation, market operation, brand building, technology application, and audience cultivation. Considering both macro-industry perspectives and micro-practical levels, it proposes a series of optimization and improvement strategies and development paths that are both theoretically scientific and practically operable. These cover content innovation and upgrading, narrative paradigm innovation, deep integration of digital technology, construction of omni-channel precision marketing strategies, refined operation of youth fan communities, and development of IP derivative ecosystems.The core objective of this research is to provide solid theoretical support, a scientific analytical framework, and a replicable practical paradigm for the rejuvenated dissemination, innovative transformation, and creative development of new-era classic red literary and artistic works. It aims to further enrich the theoretical research system of red literary communication and stage art industry development, help red dance dramas break through thematic barriers and audience limitations, achieve the organic unity of artistic value, social value, and market value, promote the high-quality development of the stage art industry towards excellence, diversification, rejuvenation, and marketization, and ultimately help red culture take root and be passed down among the youth of the new era, achieving more vital, infectious, and influential long-term dissemination.