China contemporary dance

Contemporary dance, emphasizes the freedom of body and mind. It blends movement, music, poetry and the rhythms of nature. A modern dance summit in Beijing impressed the knowledgeable and the performances bowled them over. The presentations were captivating and the artistic approaches diversified.

Cui Jian, rock musician, said, "So it can be danced like this? Of course it can! As long as there's a stage and dancers are performing, it is dance. It needn't necessarily meet certain aesthetic requirements, or master any special skills for it to be called dance."

Isadora Duncan is known as the mother of "Modern Dance". She founded the "New System" of interpretive dance, which blends poetry, music and the rhythms of Nature. She didn't believe in the formality of conventional ballet and created a freer form of dance.

Artists in China pursue the form with zeal. Major contemporary dance groups from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, joined the Beijing modern dance summit. Each troupe demonstrated its own concepts in performances and workshops.

The opener for the two-week long event was an environmental piece, presented by Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company. In a down -sized performance venue, dancers mingled with spectators making the show quite interactive.

Willy Tsao, artistic director, Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company, said, "I think the meeting is very important. Because it's the first time that three major modern companies from Taiwan, from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, are gathering together. And we show our different works, also demonstrations to the world that the modern dance is really developing in China. I think it's also significant for Chinese audiences to see the different approach to the art of dance."