2026 Living Dance Festival - China-en

Presented by BeijingDance/LDTX, co-organized by Inner Mongolia Arts University, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of The Kingdom of the Netherlands in China, and supported by the Australian Embassy in China, the fourth edition of the Living Dance Festival is scheduled to take place from August 25 to 29, 2026 in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Province. The Festival aims to provide a unique platform for in-depth international cultural exchange and integration. Every year, the Living Dance Festival invites renowned international dance groups to collaborate with China’s leading modern dance group, BeijingDance/LDTX, and host a series of modern dance classes, seminars and performances.

Following China’s rapid economic development, people continue to pursue higher quality of life and cultural enrichment, there is a growing desire to participate in international travels, economic and cultural exchange activities. In the art of dance, modern dance has a highly communicative body language with a strong international perspective. In recent years, modern dance in China receives increasing attention while gaining popularity among the younger generation.

Living Dance Workshop

From August 25 to 29, 2026,  Living Dance Workshop will bring together 32 international dancers as teachers from 7 countries. Every morning with 2 classes, a total of 8 professional modern dance classes, to be taught by resident artists and dancers from Australasian Dance Collective from Australia, Focus Dance Company from Brazil and Illusionary Rockaz Company from The Netherlands and BeijingDance/LDTX.

> More information about International Teacher Team

Living Dance Workshop

This screening programme features films from the Cinedans Festival Programme 2026. Cinedans is the only organisation in the Netherlands dedicated entirely to dance film, bringing together the presentation, development, and international distribution of the genre. The programme includes award-winning works from Cinedans’ international dance film competition as well as highlights from its specially curated sections. Several films will be presented exclusively in China for the first time. A total of four screening sessions will be held over four afternoons, showcasing an inspiring selection of dance films from both China and around the world.

Born into you

Explores the essence of human connection. Two reborn beings meet and form a deep, spiritual bond. Through their evolving relationship, marked by vulnerability, trust and growth, they move toward emotional and physical maturity.

Persephone

Persephone, the ancient Greek goddess of both spring and the underworld, is reimagined not as a passive victim of abduction, but as a figure of agency and sovereignty. By eating the pomegranate seeds, she consciously chooses a life lived between contrasting worlds. A poetic dance film exploring the eternal interplay between life and death as part of a natural, cyclical process.

Sticks & Stones

When a game of Mikado (Pick-up-Sticks) with friends takes a dark turn, a woman is drawn into a psychological battle against the accumulating voices of judgment in her mind. Through a hypnotic fusion of dance and fashion, Sticks & Stones reflects on inner struggles with negativity and criticism. Twisting the familiar adage “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” the film visualizes the mental weight that words can carry.

> Films Introduction Session 1

> Films Introduction Session 2

Living Dance Podium

Every afternoon a forum, a total of 4 afternoon forums, facilitated by artistic director Willy TSAO, includes discussions with artists from international performing companies and with TSAO’s sharing of modern dance development in China.

> Living Dance Podium Highlights

Living Dance Showcase

Every late afternoon a showcase, a total of 4 showcases of short original works by young choreographers.

> Living Dance Showcase Selected List

Living Dance Feature Hall 

Every evening a performance, a total of 5 original works by Australasian Dance Collective from Australia, Focus Dance Company from Brazil and Illusionary Rockaz Company from The Netherlands and BeijingDance/LDTX.

Illusionary Rockaz Company (IRC)

 

A Dutch hip-hop dance crew founded in 1998 in a mall in Nieuwegein (a suburb from Utrecht). Rooted in hip-hop culture, IRC creates theatrical productions that blend breaking, popping and contemporary movement with strong storytelling. The company develops stage performances, events and talent development programs, and collaborates with dancers and musicians from different disciplines. IRC’s work is presented in theatres, festivals and cultural institutions in the Netherlands and internationally.

With a strong focus on artistic growth, authenticity and community, IRC aims to expand the position of hip-hop within the performing arts and to inspire new generations through dance.

The signature from artistic director and choreographer, Shailesh BAHORAN, is always based on origin. All the theater pieces are based on this theme. If it is about the internal flame Ignite or how the many cultures in Suriname came together Creole or who is giving life to who Avatara. IRC doesn’t have a fixed group of dancers and hold auditions for each piece because every piece needs a different kind of dancer.

Choreographer introduction

 

Shailesh Bahoran 

An artistic director of Illusionary Rockaz Dance Company (IRC).  He is a versatile hip-hop dancer and choreographer, and distinguishes himself in his free artistic vision in which he looks for ways to stimulate moods and emotions with the audience, and ways to express contrasts. This way of creating and philosophy lead to innovative and experimental pieces that got him a lot of praises and recognition within the dance world.

As a dancer BAHORAN distinguishes himself by his phenomenal technique, originality and expression. He has firm roots in the hip-hop culture and mastered, solo and with his crew lllusionary Rockaz, various styles like b¬ boying (breakdance) and popping. He has worked with The Dutch National Ballet, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, and more.

In 2013, BAHORAN received the New Makers grant from the Performing Arts Fund NL, which enabled him to develop several productions in collaboration with Korzo, ISH and Spin Off, including Heritage, Sat Cit Ananda, Lalla Rookh, Blood, Aghori and the short film Shai. Ignite received a Swan nomination in 2017 for most impressive dance production and won the International Prize. That same year, he received the Dutch Dance Days Award for most promising choreographer.

< Ignite >

Energy is everywhere. It builds in tightening muscles, rushes through your breath, and crackles just above the surface of your skin. A spark flashes through the mind and surges into the body, pushing it forward before you even realize it. Once it ignites, there is no turning back. Stillness disappears. Everything moves. Everything is energy.

Ten years after its successful tour, Ignite returns to the theatre.

In this high-voltage dance performance, choreographer Shailesh BAHORAN dives into the source of the force that drives us. With five fiercely explosive dancers on stage, Ignite pulls the audience into a whirlwind of movement and rhythm, a theatrical experience that leaves you charged with energy long after the lights go down.

> More information about Ignite

 

This summer, the Living Dance Festival brings forth an in-depth and omni-dimensional modern dance exchange, fulfilling our goal to broaden participants’ global horizon, inject fresh energy into creativity and learning, and drive forward the modern dance development in China.