Dance is a language that transcends borders. Every culture carries its own rhythm, from the grounded strength of Chinese folk movement to the fluid weightlessness of Western contemporary dance. I see culture not as a boundary but as inspiration. In my choreography, I weave together diverse movement vocabularies to explore how identity, heritage, and modern expression can coexist within one body. Each gesture becomes a conversation, between past and present, east and west, individuality and community.
To deepen this exploration, I founded the Ethnochoreology and Culture Society, a student-led group dedicated to studying dance as both art and anthropology. As president, I guide members to research and experience how movement reflects social values, belief systems, and collective emotion. Our sessions combine physical practice with cultural study, learning traditional Chinese gestures alongside African grounded rhythms, Western contemporary phrasing, and ritual movements from around the world. Through these exchanges, we uncover how every dance form embodies a community’s history and worldview.
Our society also approaches dance as a form of emotional healing. In each workshop, we discuss the meanings behind movements, how a simple hand curve can symbolize grief, joy, or renewal. These reflections help dancers connect to their inner states and to one another. For many members, rehearsing together becomes a shared therapy: an act of empathy and understanding that transcends language. I have witnessed quiet dancers find their confidence, and anxious students rediscover calm through rhythm and breath.
I am particularly drawn to integrating Chinese philosophical thought into our explorations. Concepts like Taiji (the balance of yin and yang) and Qi (the flow of life energy) influence how I interpret choreography, not as fixed technique, but as harmony in motion. By blending ancient ideas with contemporary forms, I hope to show that cultural heritage is not static; it evolves each time we move.
The Ethnochoreology and Culture Society reflects my belief that dance is both cultural dialogue and emotional bridge. When we embody another culture’s movement, we learn to see the world through its rhythm, and in doing so, we expand our own. My vision is to continue creating spaces where art, culture, and empathy meet, reminding us that movement has the power not only to express, but to heal and unite.
Originating from the Dai ethnic group of southern China, the pieces draws inspiration from the fluid movements of rivers and the gentle grace of birds. The choreography features soft wrist rotations, flowing arm lines, and wave-like body motions that mirror the rhythm of nature. Dai dance celebrates harmony, gentleness, and femininity — qualities that embody the group’s deep respect for the environment. When performing the pieces, I imagine becoming part of the landscape itself, allowing each movement to ripple like water. It reminds me that beauty can be quiet yet powerful, and that movement is a form of gratitude to nature.
Zang dance, by contrast, radiates strength, spirituality, and devotion. Inspired by the vastness of the Tibetan plateau, the choreography integrates expansive arm gestures, strong footwork, and uplifting spins that reflect connection to the sky and faith. The circular motions represent cycles of prayer and the endurance of spirit. In performing the pieces, I feel both grounded and transcendent — a balance between humility and vitality. It embodies the resilience of people living close to the heavens and reminds me how dance can express spiritual freedom through physical energy.
As the name Little Dai Girl suggests, this piece mimics the daily life of a girl in the Chinese Dai ethnicity, picking berries and playing in the water.
Another piece from Dai ethnicity. All the movements in Peacock represent the closest animal with Dai people, the peacock. They are considered sacred birds symbolizing beauty, happiness, and good luck in Dai culture.
Zang people live up high in the mountains, so all the movements have low center of gravity and points downwards. As the name suggests, this dance is a celebration after the harvest of the wheat field, with happiness, passion, and pride.
“Tracing the Wind” reflects the refinement and introspection of Chinese classical dance. Rooted in calligraphy, Daoist philosophy, and traditional aesthetics, it captures the essence of yun (inner rhythm) and qi (energy flow). Each movement unfolds like a brushstroke — circular, continuous, and poised between strength and softness. Performing the pieces connects me to the wisdom of ancient Chinese art, where motion arises from stillness and elegance expresses thought. Through its balance and breath, I rediscover cultural identity as both heritage and evolving art.
Yun Zhong Xian (Celestial Nymph), rooted in Chinese classical dance, embodies circular motion and rhythmic breath. Inspired by Buddhist imagery, it portrays calm compassion through flowing gestures and Dunhuang-style ribbons that mirror air currents—release symbolizing awakening, restraint reflection. The final Buddha pose signifies enlightenment, uniting self and nature: when I see the lotus, the lotus becomes me.
Using mainly the upper body, this piece demonstrates the fundamental rhythm of Chinese Classical Dance --- a rise always follows a sink. The whole body is like the flow of water and wind.
The name 'Sansin' means Shaman in the mountains, describing the scene of a Chinese girl in the mountains performing magic
“City Pulse” contrasts tradition with modern expression. Drawing from jazz technique, it celebrates individuality and rhythm through isolations, syncopation, and improvisation. The choreography channels the energy of urban life — freedom, tension, and creative release. For me, jazz represents emotional honesty: the courage to express impulse and imperfection. It bridges East and West in spirit, showing that artistic expression is universal even when its vocabulary changes.
The piece depicts vibrant students in their high school, full of passion and energy, which aligns with this dance genre.
A very vivid description of the enthusiastic atmosphere on a summer night. The usage of light in this piece further adds the joy.
This performance was at the opening ceremony of the Nanjing Poly Grand Theatre Children's Art Troupe. We practiced for a week before performing the BlackPink style Jazz.
Another jazz piece similar to the 2020 one, describing the passionate dreams of young people. Movements like repeated jumps and kicks add tension to the atmosphere.
Across these pieces, Dai’s waterlike serenity, Zang’s spiritual vigor, classical dance’s poetic grace, and jazz’s raw individuality, I explore how culture lives within motion. Each form carries a unique worldview, yet all express shared human emotions: joy, strength, reflection, and connection. Performing them side by side is my way of creating dialogue between traditions — allowing nature, faith, philosophy, and modernity to meet through movement. Together, they form a continuous thread of cultural empathy and artistic exploration, reminding me that dance, at its core, is the world speaking through the body.
Kexin Xu's Dance
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