An international dance festival opened Thursday in Urumqi, the capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, attracting artists to showcase their dances in an international arena.

The 6th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival, with a theme of "Dreams of Dance, Harmony of Silk Road," attracted more than 1,000 artists from Asia, Europe and Africa. The festival will last for 17 days and stage 60 performances.

The performances cover art forms such as ballet, folk dance drama and musical drama. Among them will be the well-known Chinese ballet dance drama "The Red Detachment of Women" and the ballet dance drama "The Sleeping Beauty" featuring Belarusian dancers.

A series of activities will also take place during the festival, including square dance performances.

Launched in 2008, the festival's 6th edition is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Information Office of the State Council, and the Xinjiang regional people's government.