Dance films from 'Dance Camp' bring dance closer to the people

Poster for the "One-minute Dance Film". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As part of National Youth Dance Development, the 2nd "Dance Camp" activities opened at the Chaoyang Nine Theater, Beijing, on Aug 22.

Feng Shuangbai, chairman of the Chinese Dancers Association presented the opening ceremony and expressed his good wishes to the young dancers and video makers. He also gave a comment on a group of one-minute dance videos submitted by the young dancers and directors.

The week-long "Dance Camp"activities launch and highlight the first-ever "One-minute Dance Film "unit. It has attracted nearly 60 talented young dancers and dance video enthusiasts across China. Meanwhile, prestigious scholars, experts and artists worldwide in the dance circle were invited to give various courses including seminars, lectures, crossover conversations and video-shooting exchanges.

The unit aims at developing young dancers in a well-rounded way. Nearly 200 professional dancers and dance video lovers signed up for it and 29 videos made it to the "Dance Camp" activities.

The "One-minute Dance Film" unit is designed to explore the originality and foster creators of China's dance videos. It's also an opportunity to communicate with foreign counterparts. As a new art form, dance video is jointly created by dancers, filmmakers and television crews. The digital technology innovates, diversifies and personalizes dance creation.

Since lens angle is factored into choreography, video shooting changes accordingly. Dance videos are not only a medium for edgy choreographers and dancers, but also a peek into the future trend of dance.

"After so many years, I realized that dance is still far from people's daily lives," Feng said.

Feng recalled his early memories on the development of the music recorder, and the spread of mp3s that boosted vocal music. He expected that new technology could make dance more accessible and narrow the distance between dance and common people.

"But the most important thing is to put your whole mind and soul in your dance or video, otherwise you can only dance technically and can’t reach the essence of the dance," Feng said.

To facilitate the fusion of traditional and cyber art, dance creators are encouraged to upload their works online. There is a network voting system for the "One-minute Dance Film" unit. Primarily targeted at college students, it is accessible on various new media such as Sina Weibo, WeChat and mobile clients, along with outstanding dance videos.

Ten young video directors will be selected in the end and their works will be displayed at the year-end show.

Organized by the Chinese Dancers Association, the National Youth Dance Development debuted in 2014. The plan is dedicated to nurturing and supporting talented young dancers. It grants the up-and coming and potential artists direction in innovation and a platform for sharing and communicating with the outside world. It has been carried out three times and showcased about 20 video directors and their works to a wider audience. The directors include Fei Bo, Chai Mingming, Liu Ning, Zhao Liang, Zhao Xiaogang, Zhou Liya and Xie Xin.