On October 13th, the "Dance Drama and Technology Empowerment" Artists Forum was held at the Tus Academy of TusPark. XIE Weihe, Deputy Director of Tsinghua University Council, WANG Sunyu, Deputy Director and Secretary General of ICEE, and HUANG Ying, Executive Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Haidian District Committee of Beijing, attended the event and delivered speeches. ZOU Zhirui, Secretary General of the Alliance International for Ballet Education, presided over this forum.

XIE Weihe delivers a speech

XIE Weihe said that on April 19, when President XI Jinping visited the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University for the first stop of his trip to the university, he noted that we should enhance our confidence in Chinese culture and strengthen international cultural exchanges through aesthetics. In the process of promoting comprehensive reforms, Tsinghua University attaches great importance to the key role of aesthetic education in humanistic quality education and the cultivation of innovative talents. For a long time, Tsinghua University has used intellectual achievements in its teaching practice to serve artists and China’s prosperity and development of art. We expect artists to empower Tsinghua University, thus giving wings to science and technology through enlightenment, stimulation, and integration.

WANG Sunyu delivers a speech             HUANG Ying delivers a speech

WANG Sunyu mentioned in his speech that the ICEE Ballet Aesthetic Education Program, which aims to stimulate the creativity of engineering and Engineering science and technology talents through aesthetic performance of ballet, will provide support for "an optional ballet course", "a ballet appreciation event", "a ballet-themed activity", and "a ballet aesthetic education club". The "Scientific Analysis Method of Ballet Art Language", which was proposed by Mr. FENG Shuangbai, Chairman of China Dancers Association at the Aesthetic Education Program Launch Conference, is a good inspiration to us. Last week, Nina Ananiashvili, Director of State Ballet of Georgia, gave a wonderful ballet masterclass for the students of Tsinghua University, giving wings of ballet to engineering aesthetics and integrating "ballet art" and "engineering technology" in the field of education.

HUANG Ying said that Haidian District boasts a long history and a profound cultural background and also continuous development power thanks to technology and education. With the strong support of many troupes and artists, we have founded the Zhongguancun Dance Festival, the first art festival with dance drama as its theme both at home and abroad. We have also established Zhongguancun International Dance Centre, a base for dance art exchange and the engine of creation. We have been dedicated to building an international dance exchange and cooperation platform to promote the development of dance art. I look forward to all the artists contributing your insights to this forum, so that we can enjoy the bright future of dance art together.

Session of "Thinking of the Times in Dance Drama Creation"

In the session of "Thinking of the Times in Dance Drama Creation", FENG Shuangbai, Chairman of China Dancers Association, Boris Eifman (online), Head and Artistic Director of the Russian Eifman Ballet Theatre, CHEN Feihua, Head of Shanghai Dance Theatre, Mikko Nissinen (online), Head and Artistic Director of Boston Ballet, HE Lishan, Artistic Director and former Head of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, Nina Ananiashvili (online), Head and Artistic Director of State Ballet of Georgia, YANG Yi (online), Head of China National Opera & Dance Drama Theatre, Jorma Elo (online), a world-renowned choreographic master and former choreographer and director of Nederlands Dans Theatre (NDT), and XUE Wei (online), Vice President of Anhui Provincial Opera Dance Drama Theatre  respectively gave speeches. JIANG Dong, former Deputy Director of the Dance Institute of Chinese National Academy of Arts, presided over the session. The guests conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on the creation and publicity of China’s dance dramas and the impact of technology, especially new technologies on art.

Session of "Future of Dance Drama Creation and Technology Empowerment"

In the session of "Future of Dance Drama Creation and Technology Empowerment", WANG Yuanyuan, Head and Artistic Director of Beijing Dance Theater, JIANG Xinguang (online), National Class-A Director of Zhejiang Song and Dance Theatre, TAN Shaoyuan, Director and Visual Artist of Beijing Repertory Theater, LI Shuangshou, Director and a professor of Fundamental Industry Training Center, Tsinghua University, KANG Zhuqing, a young composer and music producer, BAI Bangni, a screenwriter and writer, and WANG Run, a reporter and art critic of Beijing Evening News participated in the discussion. HAN Jiang, a visual artist of the National Theatre of China presided over this sub-forum. The guests had a lively discussion on such issues as technological thinking, the use of technology in dance dramas, and the impact of technology on music and dance.

Group photo

The Artists Forum is one of the core activities of the Zhongguancun dance drama performance, a representative Zhongguancun’s cultural event integrating science and technology with culture. As the only performing event in China with dance drama as its main content, this performance was held during the period of Zhongguancun Forum, China’s most authoritative science and technology event. This forum was sponsored by the Publicity Department of the CPC Haidian District Committee of Beijing City, supported by ICEE, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Institute for Global Industry, Tsinghua University, and Zhongguancun International Dance Centre, organized by Beijing Huanyu Ballet Art Center, and co-organized by ICEE Global Corporate Partnership Board. As part of the ICEE Ballet Aesthetic Education Program released by ICEE on September 15th, this forum invited more art experts to participate in the aesthetic education of Tsinghua University. SHEN Ye, Secretary General of ICEE Global Corporate Partnership Board, attended this forum.

(Edited by: SHEN Ye Reviewed by: XU Lihui and WANG Sunyu)