Quantum leaps

When choreographer Willy Tsao Sing-yuen first took contemporary dance to the mainland by teaching it at the Guangdong Dance School in 1987, the Chinese government was highly suspicious. Cadres perceived individualism and self-expression, which the art form advocates, as Western ideologies and, therefore, dangerous. Today, however, the authorities see modern dance as a symbol of progress, the 55-year-old artist says.

'The perception of the art form on the mainland has changed drastically,' says Tsao, who heads the City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) as well as the Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company and Guangdong Modern Dance Company.

'In the 1980s, we risked being called traitors. Now, it's a different story. This year, [my Beijing] dance troupe will perform overseas and the Chinese government wants the world to understand this is not the China of the past but China of the present. It sees contemporary dance as youthful, energetic, creative and dynamic.

'So, its attitude has pretty much switched from being oppressive to being supportive.' In fact, the Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company has received 300,000 yuan (HK$355,000) from the Ministry of Culture for its upcoming world tour, which kicks off next month in Israel before heading to the US (where the troupe will perform in five cities), then Canada, Russia, Poland and finally Australia in September.

'I was walking on air when I learned about the financial support,' Tsao says. 'It shows there is now official recognition and acknowledgement that works of a high standard should be seen by audiences abroad.'

There is plenty of contemporary dance talent emerging from the mainland today, says Tsao, the curator of China Dance Forward, a new production showcasing some of the mainland's most promising independent dancers and choreographers.