Great leap forward for modern dance
After six years, Beijing has once again a festival to showcase Chinese and international modern dance. As part of "Important Cultural Activities for 2008 Beijing Olympic Games", the first Beijing International Dance Festival will be held at the Tianqiao Theater of Beijing from May 9 to 25.
An earlier Beijing Modern Dance Festival started in 1999 but stopped after 2002. Hong Kong choreographer Willy Tsao, who founded the past festival, will continue to promote modern dance in the upcoming Beijing International Dance Festival.
"When we held the Beijing Modern Dance Festival, people often asked questions like 'what is modern dance' or 'why should Chinese watch modern dance', while now modern dance has become a normal part of Beijing's cultural scene," says Tsao, who is founder and artistic director of Hong Kong's City Contemporary Dance Company and Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company.
