Nixon in China is an opera in three acts by the American composer John Adams. Adams composed it between 1984 and 1987 to a libretto (text) by the American poet Alice Goodman. The idea for the opera's subject matter came from the American opera director Peter Sellars. Sellars directed the first performance of the opera, on Oct. 22, 1987, at the Houston Grand Opera in Texas. The American dancer and choreographer (dance creator) Mark Morris did the choreography.