"Beijing Vision" - Beijing Modern Dance Company (China)

The Beijing Modern Dance Company (BMDC) is the leading professional modern dance company in China. Founded in 1995 by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, the Company became independent in 1998. BMDC has  received national and international acclaim from audiences, critics and experts alike for its diverse repertoire, one that integrates the traditional culture of China with influences from abroad.

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Tour Availability in Europe : November 27/ December 15, 2007 (excluded The Netherlands & Belgium)
"The most prominent of Chinese modern dance troupes." The New York Times (USA)
"Beyond our grandest expectations!" Italian National Television, la Biennale di Venezia (Italy)
"The dancers are outstanding and disciplined; the dance rich and profound. BMDC is a top international dance company of Chinese art." Le Figaro (France)
"There is no question about the excellence of these dancers . . . . The audience at the Joyce gave every sign of loving the company and the work." The New York Times (USA )

Director : ZHANG Changcheng
Artistic Advisor : Lan-Lan WANG
Resident Artist : GAO Yanjinzi

Artistic Management Team
Team Leader : GAO Yanjinzi
Team Members: HU Lei, ZHANG Disha, SHI Xiaojuan, CHAOKE
Dancers : HU Lei, ZHANG Disha, SHI Xiaojuan, CHAOKE, FENG Binbin, SUN Yue, CAO Peizhong, DING Qirui, TAO Ye, WANG Hao, WANG Tao, XIN Xin, XING Chunming, YANG Chang, ZHANG Xuesong.

Production Team
Technical Director/Lighting Designer : HUANG Zhigao
Costume Designers: ZHONG Jiani, Ah Kuan
International Coordinator: Alison M. FRIEDMAN
Marketing and Management: CHEN Yu
Administrative Assistant: Vicky SI YUAN
Public Relations: WANG Chunsong
Office Coordinator: HE Yongmei
Wardrobe: CHEN Xiaoyun

About the Company

The Beijing Modern Dance Company (BMDC) is the leading professional modern dance company in China. Founded in 1995 by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, the Company became independent in 1998. BMDC has  received national and international acclaim from audiences, critics and experts alike for its diverse repertoire, one that integrates the traditional culture of China with influences from abroad.

In over a decade of existence, BMDC has been at the forefront of developing contemporary arts within China, as well as bringing “the face of modern China” to the rest of the world. The Company has held four annual China Modern Dance Showcases, inviting students and professionals from throughout the country and abroad to come together for artistic and intellectual exchange. The BMDC Training Centre provides classes and workshops for amateurs and professionals. Its mission is to develop not only skilled performers but also creative choreographers.

At home, the Chinese government has recognized BMDC for its contribution to Chinese culture. In 1996 it won the Wen Hua Award, the highest cultural award from the Chinese government. The Company's popularity led to invitations to perform in numerous official and commercial events throughout the country, including feature appearances on China Central Television's worldwide satellite broadcast of the First Sunrise in the Millennium (2000); the Closing Ceremony of the 9 th China National Games (2001); the Logo Launch of the 2008 Beijing Olympics at Beijing's Temple of Heaven (2003); and for Chinese President Hu Jintao's official visit to South America in 2004.

BMDC invites master teachers and choreographers from both China and abroad to collaborate with the Company and the local dance community. Recent residencies have included, among others, Fin Walker from the UK through a British Arts Council Felloship; Hou Ying from New York's Shen Wei Dance Arts; and Anouk van Dijk from anoukvandijk dance company in Holland.

The Company regularly performs throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America, and at such festivals as the Berlin Art Festival, la Biennale di Venezia, the International Performance Festival in Bologna, Italy, the Bahia Festival in Brazil, the Singapore Arts Festival, Korea's Chang Mu International Dance Festival, the Tokyo International Theatre Festival, the Bienniale de Lyon, the Canada Dance Festival, and The John F. Kennedy Center Festival of China in Washington, DC. BMDC regularly appears in the world's most prestigious venues, including the Paris Opera House, Berlin's House of World Cultures, Singapore's Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, and New York's Joyce Theatre, among many others.

Reviews

“The most prominent of Chinese modern dance troupes.” The New York Times (USA)
“Beyond our grandest expectations!” Italian National Television, la Biennale di Venezia (Italy)
“The dancers are outstanding and disciplined; the dance rich and profound. BMDC is a top international dance company of Chinese art.” Le Figaro (France)
“There is no question about the excellence of these dancers . . . . The audience at the Joyce gave every sign of loving the company and the work. ” The New York Times (USA)
“A cultural ambassador of contemporary China.” University of Florida, Performing Arts (USA)
“BMDC is an amazing chapter in Chinese modern dance history.” People's Daily (China)
“The intricate interaction among the [BMDC] dancers ... demonstrates the incomparable power of modern dance to touch the human heart.” China Cultural News (China)
“They executed truly original and creative choreography. Beijing is the vital center for a new spirit of innovation which can spread to the rest of the nation.” Da Kung Bao (Hong Kong)
"Not only was the dancing magnificent, the music and stage design were innovative and refreshing.” – People's Daily (China)
“Drawing on their individual experiences and understanding, the dancers expressed the full range of human emotions, strength and vulnerability.” China Cultural News (China)
“There was nothing decorative or superfluous about what we saw. BMDC's performance was a scalpel cutting directly to the heart.” Wen Hua Times (China)
“The technical level was super-human!” Hong Kong Standard (Hong Kong)

Company members:
ZHANG Changcheng (executive director and president) has led BMDC to national and international acclaim since assuming leadership in 1998. He works to develop contemporary dance in China by organizing festivals, speaking at conferences, and collaborating with embassies and cultural institutions throughout China. He played an instrumental role in organizing the 2006 China Europe Performing Arts Conference in Beijing. Mr. Zhang is the China representative for such global organizations as the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) and the IETM International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts.

Lan-Lan WANG (Artistic Advisor) is a choreographer, educator, producer and art administrator based in the United States. She was the first modern dancer from abroad to visit China after the Cultural Revolution in 1978 on a trip with her mother, the esteemed Chinese fiction writer Hualing Nieh, and her stepfather, the American poet Paul Engle. After the normalization of relations between the United States and China in 1980, Ms. Wang founded the U.S.-China Dance Exchange Program at the University of Iowa. In 1983, she spearheaded a ground-breaking national modern dance workshop held in Beijing. Organized by the Chinese Dancers' Association and conducted by Ms. Wang and Australian-born Martha Graham dancer Ross Parkes, the workshop paved the way for the development of modern dance in China. She has served on the faculty of dance at the University of Iowa (1980-90), UCLA (1990-94), and she chaired the Connecticut College Dance Department from 1994 to 2006. Ms. Wang has choreographed over fifty works and is a published writer in both Chinese and English.

GAO Yanjinzi (resident artist) is one of the founding members of the Beijing Modern Dance Company. She has received numerous major awards for performance and choreography both in China and abroad, including the Grand Prix at the 12 th International Modern Choreography Competition in Belarus for her piece Worlds (1999). She has adjudicated national dance competitions and served as artistic director for such programs as the 2006 CCTV Chinese New Year Arts Special. She performs and pre sents her work throughout Asia, Europe, Australia and North America, and has received commissions to create works for such prestigious festivals as the Berlin Art Festival ( Jue-Aware , 2004), Italy's Biennale de Venezia (­ Oath (Midnight Rain), 2006) , and the Singapore Dance Festival (INTO - Jing Hua Shui Yue , 2006).

HUANG Zhigao (technical director/lighting designer) has worked as the technical director and lighting designer for the Beijing Modern Dance Company since 2001. His major designs include those for the repertory works KUNLUN (2001) , Rear Light (2002) , Realm of Desire (2002) , All River Read (2001) , Jue-Aware (2004) , Oath (Midnight Rain) (2006) , among dozens of others. He has toured with the Company to Europe, South and North America, and throughout Asia, participating in such international cultural events as la Biennale di Venezia, Singapore Arts Festival, Japan Tokyo Art Festival, and the Berlin Art Festival.

ZHONG Jiani (costume designer) graduated from the Beijing Design Academy's Clothing Design Department. She was chief costume designer for the opening ceremonies of the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. Her designs for the Beijing Modern Dance Company include costumes for Jue·Aware (2004), commissioned by the Berlin Art Festival, and Oath (Midnight Rain) , commissioned by la Biennale di Venezia (June, 2006).

Ah Kuan (costume designer) graduated from the Beijing Design Academy with a degree in clothing design. He has designed costumes for domestic and international performances, films and television series. His designs for the Beijing Modern Dance Company include costumes for: Worlds which received the Grand Prix at the 12th International Modern Dance Competition in Belarus; INTO: Jing Hua Shui Yue commissioned by the Singapore International Art Festival (May, 2006); and Oath (Midnight Rain) , commissioned by la Biennale di Venezia (June, 2006).

HU Lei (choreographer/dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after graduating from the modern dance division of the Beijing Dance Academy Choreography Department. Previously, he danced with the Hubei Provincial Song and Dance Company. In 2002 he won a bronze medal in the China National Lotus Cup Dance Competition, and in 2006 his pieces Returning on the Wind and In the Clouds received silver and bronze medals for choreography in the Classical Chinese dance division of the China National Taoli Cup Dance Competition, the most prestigious dance competition in China. As a principal dancer, he has performed with BMDC in such countries as the United States, France, Italy, Brazil, and many others.

ZHANG Disha (choreographer/dancer) spent her early years at the Guizhou Arts Academy. She received her degree from the Choreography Department of the Beijing Dance Academy and joined BMDC after graduation. In 2006 she won gold and silver medals for her choreography Come Here and Summer Days in the Ballet division of the China National Taoli Cup Dance Competition, the most prestigious dance competition in China. As a principal dancer, she has performed with BMDC in such countries as the United States, France, Italy, Brazil, and many others.

SHI Xiaojuan (choreographer/dancer) studied dance at the Huangshi Arts Academy in Hubei Province before joining the Huangshi Song and Dance Company. She received her degree from the Beijing Dance Academy and joined the Guangdong Modern Dance Company after graduation. Four years later she joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company and has toured with the Company as a principal dancer to such countries as the United States, France, Italy, Brazil, and many others.

CHAOKE (choreographer/dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after studying at the Central University of Nationalities and the Beijing Dance Academy where he received his degree from the Choreography Department. As a principal dancer, he has performed with BMDC in such countries as the United States, France, Italy, Brazil, and many others.

FENG Binbin (dancer) graduated from the Choreography Department of the Beijing Dance Academy and joined the Jinan Advanced Guard Song and Dance Troupe. Three years later she joined BMDC as a performer as well as director of the training centre.

SUN Yue (dancer) joined BMDC after graduating from the Choreography Department of the Beijing Dance Academy. In addition to performing, she teaches modern dance at the BMDC training centre.

CAO Peizhong (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after receiving his degree from the Dance Institute of the Central University of Nationalities.

DING Qirui (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after receiving his degree from the Dance Institute of the Central University of Nationalities.

TAO Ye (dancer) joined the Shanghai Military Song and Dance Troupe after graduating from the Chongqing Dance School. Three years later h e joined the Jin Xing Modern Dance Company in Shanghai until moving to Beijing to dance with the Beijing Modern Dance Company.

WANG Hao (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after receiving her degree from the Dance Institute of the Central University of Nationalities.

WANG Tao (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after receiving his degree from the Dance Institute of the Central University of Nationalities.

XIN Xin (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after graduating from Choreography Department of the Beijing Dance Academy.

XING Chunming (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after graduating from Choreography Department of the Beijing Dance Academy.

YANG Chang (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after graduating from the Dance Department of the Sichuan Music Academy.

ZHANG Xuesong (dancer) joined the Beijing Modern Dance Company after receiving her degree from the Dance Institute of the Central University of Nationalities.

Chronology of Works: