International youth scholars dance forum kicks off in Shanghai

The 2024 International Young Scholars Dance Forum, hosted by the Shanghai Theatre Academy and organized by the Shanghai Theatre Academy Journal Center and the editorial department of Contemporary Dance Art Research (Chinese and English), was held in Shanghai on Dec 18. 

As an inaugural event on Chinese soil, the forum brought together a convergence of intellectual minds and dance aficionados to delve deeply into the multifaceted world of contemporary dance.

Distinguished luminaries including Xie Wei, secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Theatre Academy, Xu Rui, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and President of Beijing Dance Academy, Wang Yan, chairman of the Shanghai International Dance Center Development Foundation and director of the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe, alongside the venerable Professor Lv Yisheng, a revered dance theorist and educator, graced the stage with inspiring speeches that set the tone for the enriching exchange to follow.

The resonant words paved the way for a gathering of 81 Chinese and foreign participants from 35 prestigious universities and research institutions, fostering a vibrant platform for academic discourse and innovation. Under the expert curation of Zhang Suqin, editor-in-chief of the esteemed Contemporary Dance Art Research (Chinese and English), the forum saw a dynamic blend of research themes explored through four distinct parallel forums.

Zhang said despite the forum having no set agenda, the research of young scholars still showed a certain concentration. Four parallel forums focused on the collision of Chinese and Western dance history, injecting new vitality with new perspectives, methods, and materials; focused on the relationship between current artificial intelligence and dance development, dance copyright, and dance anthropology; focused on new thoughts of young scholars on contemporary dance creation and criticism; and focused on how Chinese and foreign scholars use interdisciplinary approaches in the field of dance research.

At the closing ceremony of the forum, Feng Shuangbai, chairman of the China Dancers Association, and others encouraged young scholars to dare to show new perspectives and breakthrough new thinking. Huang Changyong, dean of Shanghai Theatre Academy, encouraged young scholars to delve into dance theory, seek breakthroughs at the intersection of theory and practice, and tell Chinese stories with a high sense of responsibility and mission.