A step in a new direction

Dance show offers young women an opportunity to show off their skills and explore different styles and fresh ways to express themselves, individually or as part of a group, Xing Wen reports.

The young woman, in high-heeled boots, sashays onto the stage swaying her hips to the music, powerfully, with her eyes maintaining clear and steady contact with the audience. It seems that she always knows when is the proper time to lift her chin, flip the hair or accentuate her streamlined silhouette within the rhythmic structure of the dance. Her chiseled arms, firm abs and powerful leg muscles seem more pronounced as she executes difficult dance moves with consummate ease, helping her to maintain a captivating stage presence featuring a blend of strength and femininity.

Mao Ning, 27, is using her stage charisma to win over the coaches of the talent show Great Dance Crew, which offers nearly 60 young women who have a strong passion for street dance to be trained by professionals and to prepare group performances of various styles. The show aims to tap their potential and showcase how these street dancers empower themselves through close teamwork with one another and the artistic expression of their personalities. It has been airing, since last month, on video-sharing platform Youku.

Lu Wei, the show's chief director, says that it gathers dance lovers in a similar way that a hobby club at a university attracts a group of students who share an interest.

"A young woman in her 20s might have an idea in mind as to the kind of person she wants to be in the future and tends to make friends with like-minded people," says Lu, adding that the show would follow a similar process.

Chinese celebrities, including pop stars Wang Feifei, Cheng Xiao and actor Alec Su from Taiwan, as well as Thai singer-dancer Ten and Japanese dancer Uno Santa, have been invited to coach participants.