Contemporary dance routine developing a fan following in the capital

In a spacious dance studio in the 798 Art Zone, located in the northern part of Beijing, 66-year-old Yuan Xiaofei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Following the instructions of teacher Madison Hoke, an American dancer-choreographer, Yuan then stretched her body to portray elements from nature, such as wind, water and fire.

Yuan, who recently completed a five-day dance course, which ran from Aug 17 to 21, says: "I learned that the course, which is called Gaga people class, is a kind of art therapy, which helps people recover from illness." Yuan has breast cancer and just had surgery for the second time in April.

Yuan was among the 50 amateur dancers, who joined contemporary dance workshops in Beijing held as part of the ongoing New Dance Festival, which is in its fifth year. The festival is being held by the Chaoyang Culture Center and the Beijing 9 Contemporary Dance Theater.