The Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) hosted a series of activities to celebrate the 2025 International Dance Day at the Shanghai International Dance Center from April 23 to 30. This marked the sixth consecutive year that STA has organized the event.
With the theme "Dance: A Bond of Civilization", the event included keynote forums, youth panels and a series of practical workshops. The academic forums addressed five central themes: Diversity and cultural identity in civilizational exchange through dance; Dance and intercultural dialogue along the Belt and Road; Integration and dissemination of historical and contemporary dance cultures; Global experiences in dance heritage preservation and innovation; and Cross-cultural dance practice and future exploration in the AI era.
The opening ceremony, which took place on April 29 at the Experimental Theater of the Shanghai International Dance Center, included Xie Wei, Party Secretary of STA, who highlighted STA's 80-year legacy and multitiered education system that has cultivated generations of artistic talent.
Xie emphasized the Dance School's rapid development in recent years and noted the event's role in exploring dance as a living art form and bridge between civilizations. He expressed hope that the platform would deepen international cultural dialogue and showcase the unique charm of Chinese dance.
As a national leader in arts education, STA continues to advance its strategic vision of "Future Theatre Studies", integrating cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence into theatrical and dance education. The Dance School is also contributing to the national goal of building a philosophy and social science system with Chinese characteristics.
The 2025 International Dance Day event represents a vital extension of STA's theoretical exploration of art as a vehicle for civilizational dialogue. It also serves as a vivid expression of the Academy's commitment to strengthening the international influence of Chinese dance studies and promoting global cultural exchange and cooperation.
