A contemporary twist to dance

Biennial brings updated versions of traditional art form and a commitment to fostering international exchange and cooperation, Zhang Kun reports.

Dance groups from across China, representing the rising forces of the country's contemporary dance scene, presented their latest productions at the 2025 China Contemporary Dance Biennial from Aug 27 to 31. The performance was witnessed by 20 industry leaders from 14 countries across four continents.

Curated and presented by the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater, the biennial debuted in 2019. This year marks the first time international guests have returned to the event since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As one of Shanghai's major cultural landmarks, the Shanghai International Dance Center is home to the Shanghai Ballet, Shanghai Dance Theatre, Shanghai Dance School, and the Dance College of Shanghai Theatre Academy, as well as professional theaters dedicated to the art form. It is a cultural complex that integrates production, performance, education, research, exchange and promotion.

Since opening in 2016, the center has been committed to promoting the art of dance and fostering international exchange and cooperation. The biennial was founded to showcase contemporary dance from China, as well as serve as a platform for communication between Chinese dancers, academics, critics, choreographers, and industry leaders worldwide — art festival directors, theater managers and curators.

Earlier this year, Chen Li, the deputy general manager and the center's program director, was asked by a friend, "What is the purpose of organizing the biennial?"

"My answer was, 'because Chinese contemporary dance artists deserve to be seen. It is our responsibility to open the door for them," Chen said at the opening of the biennial on Aug 27.

In recent years, with China's growing global presence, there has been an increase in international interest in the continuous development made by Chinese contemporary dance artists, says Yu Rongjun, vice-president of Shanghai Media Group Live and the center's chairman of the board.