Embodying the spirit of global unity and the enchanting language of dance, the 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival kicked off in the vibrant city of Urumqi, located in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The festival, which began on Thursday, has drawn a myriad of exceptional dance troupes from 11 countries and regions worldwide. These include dynamic performers from Russia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and South Africa, underscoring the festival’s global appeal and its stature as a renowned hub for dance and song.
At the event’s press conference, Xu Ruijun, an official from the Culture and Tourism Department of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, shared that this year’s festival holds a special significance. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proposed by China, the festival seeks to honor the legacy of the Silk Road. Xu underscored the festival’s commitment to strengthen cultural exchanges and foster cooperation among the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Themed “Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road,” the festival celebrates dance in its multifarious forms, featuring 28 acclaimed performances from a broad array of domestic and international troupes. Throughout the festival, audiences will be treated to approximately 60 diverse and captivating shows that span multiple genres of dance, including ballet, folk dance drama, and musical dance drama.
Among the performers is Nadezhda Makeeva, a veteran dancer from Russia, who is part of a 48-member troupe attending the festival in Xinjiang for the first time. Makeeva expressed her excitement at sharing the stage with such a diverse array of international troupes and communicating through the universal language of dance.
Ho Ho-fei, a talented senior dancer from the Hong Kong Dance Company, echoed this sentiment. For him, participating in this dance extravaganza is an immense honor. Ho expressed his eagerness to delve into Xinjiang’s rich cultural heritage, spurred by his interactions with the region’s enthusiastic dancers.
The festival’s opening night saw the premiere of the grand Chinese historical dance drama Zhang Qian, an original production from Xinjiang. The protagonist, Ma Yire Aimaitijiang, a senior dancer from the Xinjiang Art Theater, described the experience as akin to traveling back in time to the Han Dynasty and witnessing the journey of cultural envoy Zhang Qian along the ancient Silk Road.
Xing Shimiao, the festival’s chief director, highlighted the festival as a testament to Xinjiang’s considerable development since the inception of the BRI. He described the dance festival as an unparalleled event in Xinjiang’s cultural calendar, with its unique capacity to gather international dance troupes, particularly those from BRI member countries, for cultural exchanges through dance.
Shimiao further noted that the festival will allow local residents from all ethnic backgrounds to enjoy world-class performances on their home turf. It will provide an opportunity to share Xinjiang’s cultural evolution with the world and enhance cultural appreciation, creating a sense of fulfillment among the audience.
The 17-day festival, showcasing a spectacular celebration of global dance traditions and cross-cultural exchanges, is scheduled to conclude on August 5.
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