Photo: VCG

A street dance event focused on cultural exchanges between youth from both sides of the Taiwan Straits started on Thursday in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, gathering around 150 dancers from a variety of street dance troupes based in different regions of the island of Taiwan. During the six-day event, the dancers aim to effectively convey Chinese national culture and spirit to a broader cross-Straits audience through dance movements inspired by cultural exchange.

The hundreds of street dancers engaged in a dancing competition on Thursday, where they showcased their skills and competed through various forms of dance, including Cypher battles (featuring any dance style) and two-on-two Breaking competitions, all while celebrating the joy of street dancing, according to the China Hip-Hop Union Committee. The event was co-hosted by the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots.

The dancers also visited the Xixi National Wetland Park in Hangzhou, where they experienced local ecological improvements. They also enjoyed a musical night show titled The Romance of the Song Dynasty at the scenic Song Dynasty Town, where they immersed themselves in the rich charm of cultural heritage woven with legends, myths, love stories, traditions, history, and the classic lifestyles of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Xiao Kaihan, a veteran street dancer from the island of Taiwan who goes by the stage name SuperDou, was invited to be one of judges of the match this time. He will also perform on the stage during the six-day event. 

Xiao told the Global Times that he has traveled to various locations on the mainland to share his dance techniques and creative vision. During his visits, he observed that street dance is rapidly evolving in the mainland. He encouraged more dancers from the island of Taiwan to immerse themselves in the vibrant dance culture of the mainland and draw creative inspiration from traditional Chinese culture.

The dancer has been drawn by some brilliant dance performances that blend street dance movements with historical classics or martial arts, noting, "I believe that integrating our own Chinese elements and culture into our dance - using body language to convey the essence of Chinese culture and our spirit - is a fantastic way to express ourselves and showcase our best to the world."

Cultural exchange events featuring street dance for young people across the Straits have previously been held, drawing in groups of talented young dancers. 

Jiang Tao, an amateur Breaking dancer, participated in a cross-Straits youth street dance exchange event in Beijing in 2023. She mentioned that at the core of street dance, cross-Straits dancers pursue self-expression, which allows them to find a lot of common ground in their shared passion.

"I saw many Taiwan dancers performing street dances with 'traditional Chinese elements' that captivated the audience. After that, I began incorporating Chinese elements, such as kung fu, into my choreography," Jiang added. 

"Street dance, as an introduced dance form, can spark more interesting inspirations when it merges with traditional Chinese culture. This is something many Taiwan dancers hope to further explore and discuss with their mainland friends."

The cultural bridges for communication between the youth on both sides of the Straits is not limited to just street dance. 

In recent days, cross-Straits youth exchange activities have been held across the mainland. For example, the 5th baseball league for cross-Straits students (Kunming Station) kicked off in Southwest China's Yunnan Province in October. A total of 18 teams of more than 500 students from Taipei, Penghu, Kinmen and Xiamen participated in the tournament.

Following the Hangzhou activi-ties, the street dancers will go to Quzhou, also in Zhejiang Province, to experience local culture.