Dancers at the opening show held Sept. 20 at Pingshan Theater. Photos from the organizers

The 2023 Cross-Strait, Hong Kong and Macao Youth Dance Exchange Performance was held in Pingshan from Sept. 19 to 22 to enhance understanding and deepen friendship among the youth.

At the opening show held Sept. 20 at Pingshan Theater, young dancers from universities, middle schools and art institutions presented a variety of wonderful performances in different themes and styles, showcasing the joyful and positive spirit of young people from the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. The dancers were passionate and full of energy, displaying fluent dance steps and skills, leaving the audience amazed and earning its applause and cheers.

Dancers at the opening show held Sept. 20 at Pingshan Theater.

Since the exchange program was launched in 2009, it has been held seven times in Beijing, Qingdao, Hohhot, Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Hualien. It has provided a platform for in-depth communication for young dancers and has attracted many people to get closer to the outstanding traditional arts and culture, enhancing their confidence in and recognition of Chinese culture.

Feng Shuangbai, chairman of the China Dancers Association and deputy director of the China Literature and Art Foundation, gave a lecture Sept. 22 at Pingshan Theater. He analyzed several recent Chinese dance works, explaining the creative stories behind them and guiding young dancers to think about the inheritance and innovation of Chinese dance art.

Feng Shuangbai speaks at a lecture Sept. 22 at Pingshan Theater.

Taking the Shenzhen-produced dance drama “Wing Chun” as an example, he introduced its choreography, character development and creative concept, leading the audience to experience the unique charm of the Wing Chun martial art and the dance drama. “It is very impressive to pay tribute to traditional culture and tell local stories using local culture in ‘Wing Chun,’” said Feng.

During the five-day program, research on Chaoyang Yingge Dance, an intangible cultural heritage item, was also conducted. Youth dancers were then organized to visit the Pingshan Cultural Center, and gained a deeper understanding of the charm of Chinese traditional culture and local economic achievements.