Guo Lei, President of Beijing Dance Academy, attends “China-CEEC Arts Cooperation Forum”: pursue a new look for dance education in the cross-cultural context

Group photo

Guo Lei is delivering a speech at the opening ceremony

Vice Minister of Culture Ding Wei and President of Beijing Dance Academy Guo Lei communicate at the venue

Vice Mayor of Beijing Wang Ning and President of Beijing Dance Academy Guo Lei communicate at the venue

Scene of opening ceremony

Scene of opening ceremony

The China-CEEC Arts Cooperation Forum 2016 co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of China and Beijing municipality opened in Beijing on the morning of May 9. Ding Wei, Vice Minister of Culture; Wang Ning, Vice Mayor of Beijing; and other guests from home and abroad delivered speeches at the meeting. Guo Lei, President of Beijing Dance Academy, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech on behalf of the dance group.

In his speech entitled “dance education in the context of cross-cultural cooperation”, Guo Lei started by talking about the roots of cultural diversity, and pointed out that in the cross-cultural context, supporting and conducting dance cooperation and exchanges will surely provide new opportunities for the diversified development of dance education. Known as the “cradle of dancers”, Beijing Dance Academy is a well-established dance academy with a long history, and operates under the motto of “Morality and Harmony, Nature and Human, Culture and Dance, Virtue and Art”. For more than 60 years, the Academy has established a teaching system covering technical secondary school, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and the joint cultivation of doctoral students with Peking University. Under the school philosophy of professional dance education, it has produced a wealth of outstanding professionals in dance performance, choreography, education and theoretical research, made rich academic achievements in Chinese and foreign dance history, theory and dance choreography, etc., and created excellent dance art works. It is working hard to become a world-class dance university with Chinese characteristics.

He said that Beijing Dance Academy stands ready to work with universities, institutions, experts and scholars at home and abroad to diffuse the culture and art and promote the development of world dance culture, and create a new look for world dance education in the cross-cultural context.

With the theme of “cross-cultural cooperation”, well-known artists from China, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic and other Central and Eastern European countries entered into discussions in five fields such as music, dance, drama, children’s drama and fine arts, and explored the future cooperation in art.

This event is the largest art event held between China and Central and Eastern European countries. It will last until May 13. During the period, the leaders of Beijing Dance Academy will deliver keynote speeches in the panel discussions, and experts will participate in the discussions. Students of the Chinese Ethnic & Folk Dance Department will put in live performances for artists present. The guests will visit our academy and watch live performances. At the time, the Statement on the Establishment of China-CEEC Dance Culture Union in which our academy plays a leading role will be signed in order to foster the exchanges and cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries in dance education, creation, and research.

This year is a year for the full implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. The “China-CEEC Cultural Cooperation Forum” is a concrete measure to put into practice the “Suzhou Outline for China-CEEC Cooperation” and the “Sophia Declaration on China-CEEC Cultural Cooperation 2016-2017”. It will contribute to the “16+1 cooperation” and achieve greater development. In the field of dance education, Beijing Dance Academy will do its best to fulfil social responsibilities in the context of new opportunities for the diversified development of dance education. Let us usher in a new era for the development of dance education!

(Publicity Department of Party Committee  Author /Liu Fei  Image /Mou Ke)