The 4th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival will hit the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region from July 20 to August 5, presenting 70 performances by 25 troupes from China and other countries, organizers announced at a press conference last Thursday in Beijing.

Themed "China Dream, Colorful Silk Road," the festival has invited guest performers from 10 countries along the ancient Silk Road. Folk troupes from Russia, Turkey and Serbia will bring unique styles of dance from their own culture. The National Ballet of Belarus will present Giselle, considered by many as the peak of Romantic Ballet, while the troupe's One Thousand and One Nights, based on the collection of Arabian legends, will bring the entire festival to a close.

Chinese troupes will bring together a mixture of traditional folk dance and modern adaptations. Local troupes from Xinjiang plan to turn native folk sagas into dance performances, telling stories  from both ancient and modern times. The China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater will bring their large-scale ethnic dance drama Confucius, while the Taiyuan Dance Troupe from Shanxi Province will present a dance drama about the Buddhist figure Guanyin.

In addition to performances, the festival will also host a series of supporting events, including an online dance festival, master classes and a dance and art fair.

The first Xinjiang International Dance Festival started in 2008. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, The State Council Information Office and the People's Government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, this year's festival also marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the autonomous region.