'Dark Fragrance': Folk dance embarks on nationwide tour

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Dance show Dark Fragrance just concluded its run at the National Theater in Beijing.The acclaimed show is now ready for a nationwide tour, to showcase the best of dance traditions of over a dozen Chinese ethnic groups.

Dark Fragrance presents 14 folk and ethnic dance traditions from across China.

The show was created over a course of several years. The Beijing Dance Academy has invited ethnic dancers to train the students and brought the young people on field trips to the birthplace of each dance style.

Choreographer Yuan Jia said, "After undergoing targeted training, the students have acquired a tangible feel and confidence in the material. Their expressions become more attuned to traditional arts. It is a wonderful way to boost our belief in our national culture. I think it will benefit them as professional dancers."

The Dark Fragrance project was first launched in 2015. It's intended both as a stage show and a conservation effort for China's varied ethnic dance traditions. Over the past five years, the project has produced five installments.

Huang Yihua, Dean of Folk & Ethnic Dance of Beijing Dance Academy said, "Our goal is to reach beyond mere presentation and reproduction.The objective is to interpret through our own feelings and ideas. Our cultural tradition is a gold mine. It's essential that we develop an intelligent understanding of it. It will be a source of our creativity. It will inspire us to create something greater, and grander."

The show has played a major role in preserving intangible cultural heritage. The upcoming tour will bring the dance traditions to audiences across China.