Gala spotlights rising stars in Chinese contemporary dance

Turning a new chapter on life

Indie choreographer and dancer Wen Xiaochao turned 32 in 2018, which motivated him to create the work 32 Chapters, named after his age at the time.

"It's about faith, about dreams. There is beauty in this dream. There are heartbroken moments. There is loneliness that you have to bear, but still, it's very positive," he said. "As long as you stick to this dream, you can see the silver linings behind the clouds."

The 20-odd-minute performance clip on Nov 25 started in the dynamic rhythm of Come As You Are, a song written by the American band Nirvana's frontman Kurt Cobain, with six dancers dressed in loose black clothing swinging freely to the infectious beat of the music.

They soon shifted to six sentimental solos, portraying different kinds of solitude and ways to ward it off. Fragile or powerful, they were spectacular displays of techniques and hearts, sharing with the audience their deepest fears and passions.

Wen says these solos are his favorite part. "Each of us demonstrates loneliness in our own ways. I hope to dig out their different personalities through these solos," Wen says.