Interpreting Chinese Culture with Dance Language (Running for Dreams)
A passionate and high-pitched symphony "Defend the Yellow River" was played, and the dancers on the stage moved in response. All kinds of hip-hop moves were performed in one go, and the audience applauded... This is the performance scene of the symphony hip-hop work "Yellow River", the first hip-hop dance in China The selection stage for the most authoritative dance award "Lotus Award", and won the Contemporary Dance Award in one fell swoop.
Recalling this scene, Xia Rui, the choreographer of the work and the executive deputy director of the Street Dance Committee of the Chinese Dancers Association, can't hide his excitement.
Xia Rui came into contact with street dance when he was in college, and was deeply attracted by this form of artistic expression.
After graduation, relying on his persistence and love for street dance, he turned his interest into a career.
While working as a hip-hop choreographer, Xia Rui is also thinking about how to better promote hip-hop art.
In 2015, Xia Rui initiated the establishment of the National Street Dance Alliance in Beijing.
At the beginning of its establishment, there were only him and two staff members in the entire league, and a rented office.
But the difficult conditions cannot stop the blazing dream.
In 2018, the symphony hip-hop work "Yellow River" that Xia Rui participated in choreographing made a stunning appearance on the selection stage of the "Lotus Award", attracting wide attention from professional judges and the public.
The collision of Chinese classic repertoire and western popular dance, and the fusion expression of various hip-hop elements and techniques, made many audiences exclaim: "It turns out that street dance can still dance like this." The short 7-minute performance is behind more than 180 days of hard work arrange.
In Xia Rui's view, the reason why "Yellow River" was able to win a lot of applause lies in the powerful and emotional artistic expression, and more importantly, the high resonance between the dance creation and the spirit of the Yellow River.
"Street dance must show China's contemporary life, absorb and learn from excellent traditional culture, and perform innovative performances." Xia Rui thinks so, and does the same.
In September 2021, the original hip-hop drama "Our Life" directed by him will be performed at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou. It tells the story of young people chasing dreams. From stage scenes to music design and choreography, traditional cultural elements can be seen everywhere.
Shaolin Kungfu, Wing Chun, Face Changing in Sichuan Opera, Shaanxi Old Tune...Xia Rui and members of the National Hip-Hop Federation continue to excavate the essence of excellent traditional culture and continue to open up more possibilities for Chinese hip-hop.
In addition to bringing street dance to a larger stage, Xia Rui and his team also brought artistic rhythms to more people.
In Xingyi, Guizhou, Lijiang, Yunnan, and mountainous areas of Chongqing, they have participated in voluntary service activities.
"Seeing the children report and perform with confidence, I feel the value and significance of hip-hop art." Xia Rui said.
Nowadays, hip-hop art continues to develop in China.
Hip-hop performances frequently appear in theaters and stages. The National Hip-Hop Dance Federation has spread to more than 500 cities, directly contacting nearly 3 million practitioners and tens of millions of fans.
Member of the Standing Committee of the 13th All-China Youth Federation, executive deputy director and secretary-general of the Street Dance Committee of the Chinese Dancers Association, director... Now, Xia Rui has many titles. When asked which one is the most important, he said: "Director, This is my eternal identity, and I hope to create more hip-hop boutiques, interpret Chinese culture with dance language, and tell Chinese stories well."
"People's Daily" December 29, 2022, Page 10