Modern dance's freedom of movement and often abstract themes set it apart from other dance genres. These characteristics are what Willy Tsao had in mind when he chose the performances for this year's Beijing Modern Dance Festival. Rather than only selecting top dancers, he chose performers who express themselves passionately.

Modern dance is sometimes seen as appealing only to a young, unconventional audience. But sell-out shows at the Oriental Pioneer Theater are proving the genre has wider appeal.

The second Beijing Modern Dance Festival is attracting both professional dancers and dance lovers of all ages. The five day event features fifty programs, ten for each day, performed by dance ensembles, dance studios and amateur dance enthusiasts.

Willy Tsao and his Lei Dong Tian Xia dance company are the organizers. Tsao says although the dancers have different skill levels, they all express themselves sincerely and their individuality makes for a diverse festival.

Willy Tsao, organizer of Beijing Modern Dance Festival, says, "these dancers are all trying to say something with their bodies. They are not following one format, they are trying to find a distinctive way to express themselves. That is what we're glad to see."

Friday night's performances showcased this diversity.

The Guwu Theater from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region presented a piece called "Three Turns in Dreams." By portraying a dreamland, the work expresses the creator's ideas on human relations and his hometown.

Huang Lei, dancer of Guwu theater, says, "I created this piece after I graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy and returned to my hometown in Guangxi. I put some new thoughts about my hometown after several years away into the piece."

"Persistent Pessimism and Desperation" tells of a young girl's hard inner journey as she grows up. Without knowing what her future will hold, she thinks about her existence and the road she is trekking along. The dancer is a college student from Jilin province.

The next piece "Trailing the Sun" tells of the peaceful and clear mind of the choreographer after he emerged from the chaos of his inner world. The piece is choreographed by Xu Yiming, a member of the Lei Dong Tian Xia Dance company, and is performed by Xu and his colleague Zuo Yan.

Xu Yiming, dancer, LDTX Dance Company, says, "This is an excerpt from my dance "Trailing the Sun". It's the final part, about my peaceful and sunny state of mind after I walked out of a period of confusion and chaos. I hope the audience will feel calm and experience the peace and sweetness of my mood."

Moya Buxton from the UK teaches English at a foreign language school in China. She is a dance enthusiast and presented a piece which is entirely her own work - including the choreography and music selection. She attends classes at the Lei Dong Tian Xia dance company, and has learned dance for just over two years.

This piece is by a group of dance majors from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music. Using dialogue, the work tells of the dreams of these youngsters. Some of their dreams may be reality for others, some of them are very minimal, but they are all very real. Using elements of drama, the performers say modern dance is not restricted to a designated format.

Li Hanzhong, artistic director of LDTX Dance Company, says, "Some people have misunderstandings about modern dance. They think modern dancers must be barefoot, or something. Modern dance can contain a lot of elements, the format can be very diversified. More and more young dancers have found themselves rather than just mimicking others."

Finding a release for both body and mind is what many people come to watch the shows for. Many young audience members say what the dancers convey with their bodies tells of experiences they can relate to.

WU Xiaolu, audience member, says, "each day I can find three to four programs I like very much. Modern dance performers put their feelings into very personalized moves, making it easy for us to relate to them."

Li Dan, audience member, says, "modern dance can make me totally relaxed. All the dancers have told about themselves very honestly through their moves."

Zhang Pu, audience member, says, "I think modern dance can express people's true natures. I learn dance in my leisure time. It's good for my health, moving joints that are not used by office work."

Organizer Willy Tsao says modern dance might be harder to understand than other forms of dance, because it features personal experiences. But he says so long as spectators come to the theater with open hearts, they are sure to have a wonderful experience.

(CCTV.com April 20, 2009)