Talented dancers, creative choreographers and a unique way of moving: with a little more individuality and more exposure abroad, Chinese ballet companies could rival the best in the world, stars of the Hamburg Ballet told CGTN.

Silvia Azzoni and Oleksandr Ryabko, principal dancers with John Neumeier's company and both recipients of the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse, were in Beijing to perform at the closing gala of the 5th International Ballet and Choreography Competition (IBCC) this weekend.

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Italian-born Azzoni was also a jury member in the competition last week and was impressed by the quality of the contestants.

"I was overwhelmed," she said in an interview with CGTN. "I was amazed at how the dancers move; we don't see this very much in Europe."

"(There is) something that is really something traditional here in China… their way of moving, of experimenting with the body, with music," she said, noting that the Chinese dancers had "very long arms, long legs, beautiful feet... and of course, type of body then changes the way of moving, of dancing."

China and Asia in general lag behind Europe and the U.S. in producing world-renowned dancers and choreographers, but it's not for lack of talent.

"The level of dancer is enormously high in China, in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong. They're incredibly wonderful dancers, really talented," noted Ryabko, who was an IBCC jury member in 2017.

What Chinese companies need is more international exposure. "That's a way for Chinese and other companies to try to expand and raise their level… by presenting themselves outside of China," said the Ukrainian.

"By seeing them more all over the world, it would only help them to grow."

Young Asian dancers have already been competing with the best at international competitions.

And there is a growing number of Chinese, Japanese and Korean dancers performing in top foreign companies, from London to New York, St. Petersburg and Vienna.

Azzoni and Ryabko, who are also married in real life, have traveled the world with the Hamburg Ballet and seen this with their own eyes. Their company has also benefited from having Asian input.

"It's always nice because it gives the company a different side, a different aspect and a different color," noted Azzoni.

When those dancers return home, they also bring with them experience gained abroad that they can share around them.

Showing some character

What Chinese dancers maybe lack is individual character.

"We know them as beautiful corps de ballets, amazing swans, because they all look very beautiful, and very similar," said Azzoni. "(The) goal now maybe would be to not only grow dancers that are strong technically."

"They put a lot of effort in that because they want to have top dancers and maybe sometimes they lack on the individuality of the dancers."

Highlighting dancers' special skills and qualities would help create stars and give companies more character, Azzoni suggested.

"This creates also something special in the performance because you see characters out of the group, out of the big unit of the corps de ballet. … They should push more this kind of personality, then they will become more famous abroad," she predicted. 

Newfound popularity

Chinese audiences were not always as familiar with ballet as they are now.

Azzoni and Ryabko recalled their first time touring China in 1997.

"It was a very, very old theater… and the public was very distracted, it was like if they would come and see Chinese opera, which goes on forever. So they were eating, and drinking and talking on the phone or talking to each other. And we thought, 'What's happening here?!'," Azzoni laughed.

"(It was a) very unusual experience at first," Ryabko chipped in. Since then, however, the couple has made many return visits and the enthusiasm and response from fans "has grown enormously."

"Something is being done right… and we hope it continues that way," he noted.

Already, the IBCC is proof that China is taking ballet seriously, with the quality of contestants continuously improving since its first edition in 2011, and an increasing number of foreign dancers signing up to take part.

The competition will also help highlight Chinese choreographers, whose work until now has been relatively unknown abroad.

"I think some of the jury members already contacted some of them," noted Ryabko, who described the choreographies he witnessed in Beijing this year as "really outstanding."

"Because of the level of diversity and differences to what we've seen in Europe or in America, I think (we'll see) very promising choreographers coming out (of China)," he predicted. 

After over 20 years at the top of the ballet world, Azzoni and Ryabko are more than seasoned dancers. But even they say there is still much to learn from watching up-and-coming talent. 

"They have this fearless way of being on stage. I'm sure they were nervous like crazy, but the way that they go for things is quite incredible," Azzoni said of the IBCC contestants. 

"The more you become a professional dancer, the more you work on details and you get sometimes, not scared, but you're thinking of the technical skills and you get a little bit controlled. But you see these kids going for things, fearless and courageous!"

"It reminds you how you were when you were young and it's good! I thought, 'You know, I have to also sometimes trust myself more and just be like these kids!'," she concluded.