On October 26, 2018, Mr. Huang Doudou, a world-renowned professional dancer, attended Soong Ching Ling Forum with his Chinoiserie dancing and appealing speech to share with the teachers and students in SCLS his life experiences and perceptions of art.
Mr. Huang Doudou, graduated from Beijing Dance Academy, is one of the most famous dancers in the world. He is also the vice chairman of Chinese Dancers Association, vice chairman of China Literary and Art Volunteers’Association, artistic director of Shanghai Dance Theatre, and head of Shanghai Radio and Television Choir.
1.There's no born dance prince
After showing a short video clip produced by Discovery Channel, Mr. Huang Doudou began his speech from the twists and turns of dance learning in his early childhood.
Mr. Huang Doudou got refused twice on the entrance exam to a dance school, but he didn’t give up pursuing his dreams. He made up his mind to try even harder and prove himself that “a short dancer can be in the center of the stage as long as he endeavors to do so.”His dreams finally became true.
After hearing his success of being in the center of the stage at 17 and won all the main awards at home and abroad at 21, the entire audience broke into loud applause for the illustration of“Where there is a will, there is a way”, and the students well understood behind success were countless failure and persistence, as well as enduring dream and love.
2.Bringing Chinoiserie dancing to the world stage
Beside awards, Mr. Huang’s bigger dream is to bring Chinoiserie dancing to the world stage to spread the spirit of Chinese nation and the culture of China, so he shared the stories behind the dance“Chinese Kung Fu”at the closing ceremony of 2004 Athens Olympics and the opera“The First Emperor”at the Metropolitan Opera in 2007.
Mr. Huang Doudou told the students his own experiences about how to make more people understand and love Chinese culture and send the message of peace and friendship to the world through Chinese dance.
He said,“I'm very happy to bring Chinese dance into opera. When we performed the opera, all the actors and actresses dressed like terra-cotta soldiers. No matter where we came from, we got a deeper understanding of China.”
Mr. Huang Doudou also said he had learnt a lot from the western artists while performing at the international stages, cooperating with world-class artists from all over the world.
Mr. Huang Doudou told all the students that whatever they are doing, team cooperation, cultural appreciation and open to learn are always the most important values to keep in heart.
3.Transmitting responsibility and mission
When talked about Chinese dance and culture, Mr. Huang Doudou told the students,“When I walked in New York in 2005, it was my first time to know how big the world is, to think about Chinese culture from a higher level, and to reflect on, as a Chinese, how to express myself through dance.
It is at that time that I firstly realized the uniqueness and excellence of our culture. It's worth working for. From then on, I determined to be a real popularizer of Chinese dance, together with all the dancers, to make it well known in the world.”
Mr. Huang Doudou's words deeply touched and encouraged every student at the Forum.
Mr. Huang Doudou transmitted to SCLS students not only his love of and passion for Chinese dance, but also his persistence and perseverance, his excelsior and rigorous attitude towards work, and his sense of mission to the country and its nation. This is the true Spirit of Dance.
