Dance and martial arts combined in Hong Kong Dance Company's 'Convergence'

Hong Kong Dance Company's "Convergence," a dance created through research into China's dance and martial arts traditions, takes place at Shanghai International Dance Center Theater this weekend.

Yang Yuntao, the company's artistic director and his dancers have been working with kung fu masters of the Southern style since 2018. The partnership has yielded a deep awareness of the essence of Chinese martial arts to allow a more profound understanding of the relationship between the body's senses, the fluidity of movement it creates, and the philosophies of the East in the creation and performance of dance.

"We have undergone the process of breaking ourselves down, letting go of our egos, and reshaping ourselves," said Yang. "We experienced the physical transformations brought about by the interplay between external movements and inner consciousness, all in pursuit of the truth and beauty of performing arts."

Instead of simply integrating dance movements with martial arts, "Convergence" intends to capture the transient between stillness and motion, tranquility and exuberance.

Breaking free from conventional narrative frameworks, this avant-garde work opens with dancers rooted in weighted stances. Unreliant on musical embellishment, intermittent drumbeats and the clack of bangzi clappers propel structural shifts through sparse sonic punctuation.

In 2021, the dance segment "Whispers of the Pines" from "Convergence" claimed the Contemporary Dance Award at the 13th Lotus Awards for Chinese Dance, honored for its profound interpretation of the tranquility and poetic lyricism intrinsic to Eastern culture.

The Shanghai performances serve as part of the 2025 WestK Week in Shanghai, an art and cultural exchange program bringing Hong Kong's stage creations and exhibitions to Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater has reached a three-year collaboration with Hong Kong Dance Company.

Over the next three years, Shanghai will introduce original productions by the company, especial those blending Chinese dance and martial arts.

The two sides will plan and organize workshops and masterclasses, and implement a two-way artist residency program to support emerging artists in cross-regional creation. They will also host cultural exchange initiatives such as youth training camps and showcases of outstanding works in the two cities.

Performance info

Dates: June 21, 7:30pm; June 22, 2pm

Tickets: 50-580 yuan

Venue: Shanghai International Dance Center Experimental Theater 上海国际舞蹈中心

Address: 1650 Hongqiao Rd 虹桥路1650号