Second World Ballet Conference convened at UN headquarters in New York

The Second World Ballet Conference took place very recently at the Permanent Mission of the Principality of Monaco to the United Nations, located at 866 United Nations Plaza, New York.

Against a backdrop of persistent geopolitical frictions and far‑reaching spillover impacts, rising unilateralism and power politics, as well as shifting transatlantic dynamics, the global governance architecture is undergoing profound reshaping. Amid such a volatile and intricate international environment, global aspirations for true multilateralism and the upholding of international fairness and justice have continued to gain momentum. Building on the inaugural World Ballet Conference in 2025—which advanced cross‑civilizational dialogue under the theme "Poetry on Pointe"—this year's gathering centered on the vision of "healing the world through the beauty of ballet."

The conference was presided over once again by Professor Zou Zhirui, Artistic Affairs Specialist at the International Academy for Arts and Cultural Studies (IAA) and President of the International Ballet Alliance.

During the event, Professor Zou's new book Ballet: A Path to Modern Wellness was officially launched and presented to all attending guests.

Following the opening plenary session, participating ballet experts convened for a closed‑door academic seminar at the IAA conference room, conducting extensive, in‑depth exchanges on the professional development and future evolution of global ballet art.

International experts have expressed keen interest in Professor Zou's insights on the development of Chinese ballet shared at both the inaugural and this year's conference. They fully discussed and positively endorsed Professor Zou's proposition of establishing a "Chinese Ballet School," as well as the uniquely distinctive artistic paradigm of "National Flair Ballet" nurtured and matured in China.