Speeding, choreographed by Ma Bo and Li Hanzhong; and Circle, choreographed by Zi Wei, will open the performance week.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Qu takes modern dance classes every weekend and says it is an effective way to wind down after a busy workweek. "To understand modern dance, you need to try it out," says Yu Cheng-chieh, a choreographer from Taiwan who has taught and performed at the Guangdong Dance Festival since 2008. Yu also participates in the Beijing Dance Festival every summer.

Modern dancer lives her dream

China restricts artists from performing abroad

In 1999, when Yu was dancing in New York, she was invited to teach dance technique and composition classes at the Beijing Dance Academy for two months.

"I encountered many new faces, people who had a passion for learning. Though they are not considered professional dancers, they are also not ordinary people," she says.

During the two-week Beijing Dance Festival, dancers and choreographers from Europe, North America and Asia will give workshops and advanced classes after the shows.

A special program called Hong Kong Dance Day will be presented by Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Company, showcasing avant-garde choreographers from Hong Kong and their works, including It Is Really Lovely Here ... Or So I Heard, choreographed by Wong Chi-wing, and Of Mud and Dust by Elaine Kwok.

Circle, choreographed by Zi Wei, and Speeding, choreographed by Ma Bo and Li Hanzhong, will open the festival's performance week, which begins on July 20.