When it comes to dancing, the world knows Guangzhou is on its toes.

Having borne China's first professional modern dance company and the most important dance festival in China, Guangzhou has developed a reputation as the Modern Dance City of China.

Since 2004, Chinese and international modern dance artists gather in the hometown of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company to attend the annual Guangdong Modern Dance Festival during the May holidays. The fourth annual festival will run from May 2 to 6 this year.

This year's festival will open with performances by the Iceland Dance Company. In their Guangzhou debut, the company will perform two award-winning dance theater modern classics: Open Source (First Prize in Iceland Dance Competition) and Happy New Year (named by Dance Europe as one of 2006's top 10 new creations).

The Polish premier modern dance company Silesian Dance Theater is well known for its eclectic mix of Judaic and Polish traditions. Its performances are said to reflect a search for a physical voice with contemporary relevance. The festival will present their China premiere of Die Kunst Der Fuge, an ambitious work based on J.S. Bach's most complex musical creation by the same title.

Over the years, Guangdong Modern Dance Festival has grown from a window into the latest trends in international dance to a hub of Chinese modern dance, where new ideas become reality. Every year, hundreds of young Chinese choreographers and dancers travel to Guangzhou to premiere their newest works at the festival.

This year's festival will feature the strongest-ever lineup of professional Chinese modern dance companies.

The Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company will perform Cold Dagger a thriller about the fear of being besieged. The stage is set up to simulate a chessboard, and the dancers never know where the traps are and who will be the next victim. This new creation by choreographic duo Li Hanzhong and Ma Bo has already been invited to the United States, Mexico and Italy.

The City Contemporary Dance Company of Hong Kong returns to Guangzhou with what is probably its most successful work since 1997. Testimony is based on footnotes of Shostakovich's biography. This production has swept up most major honors in the Hong Kong Dance Awards, including Best Choreography and Best Dancer. The performance features three-times Best Actor winner of the Hong Kong Drama Awards, C.C. Lee.

The Taipei Crossover Dance Company will perform a new piece by Cambodian Chinese choreographer Zhang Xiaoxiong Asunder 2, a variation on the story of Faust about a pact between a man and the devil.

The Guangdong Modern Dance Company will premiere a new work entitled Forward-For-Forward at the festival. Deputy artistic director Liu Qi will collaborate with Dutch composer Ivol Bol and dramaturge Paul De Bruyne to explore the gains and losses of China's urbanization.

More collaboration between artists of different countries will be seen at this year's festival. The Absolute Solo features three charismatic male dancers and choreographers: Tibet's fist modern dancer Sang Jijia (William Forsyth Company), self-made Italian artist Alessio Silvestrin (Bejart and Lyon Opera Ballet) and Japanese avant-garde Makoto Matsushima (Pappa Tamahumara).

Besides performances, the festival will also include master classes, discussion sessions devoted to the exchange of ideas among festival participants and the Youth Dance Marathon, which is an open platform for young artists to present new works.

Performances by the 4th Guangdong Modern Dance Festival will be held at Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou Friendship Theater and Guangdong Song and Dance Theater Auditorium.

(China Daily April 26, 2007)