On the morning of September 27, 2025, the Academic Exchange Conference on Contemporary Dance Creation was held in Meeting Room 1F-9 of the Huxi Campus Library of Chongqing University's Science City Campus. The conference was jointly organized by the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, the Chongqing Municipal Art Creation Center, and the School of Arts of Chongqing University. Attendees included Yang Minggang, Director of the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, and his delegation; Dong Jinbo, Vice Chairman of the Chongqing Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Chairman of the Chongqing Dancers Association; Mao Di, Deputy Director of the Chongqing Municipal Art Creation Center; Jiang Hualin, Party Committee Secretary of the School of Arts of Chongqing University; Peng Xiaoxi, Vice Dean of the School of Arts; as well as experts, scholars from within and outside the city, and some faculty and students from the Dance Department. The conference was chaired by Liu Chun, Deputy Director of the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.
Jiang Hualin, representing the School of Arts, extended a warm welcome to the attending leaders and experts. He provided a brief introduction to the school's history, current development, and future vision, expressing anticipation that this event would serve as an opportunity to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the school and the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, the Chongqing Dancers Association, the Chongqing Municipal Art Creation Center, as well as other brother institutions.
Yang Minggang emphasized that the purpose of this exchange conference was to thoroughly examine the realist dance tradition established by Wu Xiaobang, a pioneer of Chinese new dance art and the first director of the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, during his time in Chongqing. Through discussions on dance creation, the conference aimed to explore innovative ways of expressing national spirit and cultural confidence in Chinese modern dance in the new era, thereby injecting new vitality into the promotion of socialist literature and art.
Dong Jinbo, on behalf of the Chongqing Dancers Association, welcomed the delegation from the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts for their research visit to Chongqing. Mao Di provided an overview of the overall situation regarding artistic creation in Chongqing.
During the academic seminar session, Professor Li Chao from the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts delivered a presentation titled Reflections on Dance Creation in the New Era, offering an in-depth analysis of the logic behind dance creation within the context of the new era. Researcher Jin Hao, also from the Dance Research Institute, focused on the tendencies of "mimetic imagery" and "cinematization" in contemporary dance creation, exploring innovative pathways for dance amid cross-media integration trends. Associate Professor Peng Xiaoxi from the School of Arts at Chongqing University, echoing the theme of "paying tribute to predecessors," outlined the significant role of Chongqing's dance development during the War of Resistance period and the pathways of passing on the tradition for creating contemporary "Chongqing-brand" dance masterpieces. Professor Yan Cong from the School of Music at Chongqing Normal University analyzed the temporal context and existing issues in contemporary dance creation through a discussion on problems within the field. Professor Zhao Ting from Chongqing Vocational College of Arts, drawing from the development and practical exploration of Sichuan Opera body movement teaching materials, proposed strategies for building an educational closed-loop system of "teaching materials-classroom-stage." Professor Xie Kun from Chongqing College of Humanities and Sciences, using "seeing" and "perseverance" as entry points, discussed the local incubation and contemporary expression of youth crossover modern dance. Liu Chun provided commentary on the scholars' insightful presentations, emphasizing that contemporary dance creation must balance artistic expression with social responsibility.
All participants observed outstanding dance works created by the Dance Department in recent years at the dance classroom of the School of Arts. Professor Zhao Qian, Head of the Dance Department, introduced the educational philosophy and development history of the Dance Performance major at Chongqing University, and elaborated on the creative concepts and thematic expressions of the relevant dance works.
This exchange conference, through academic discussions and a showcase of achievements, has injected new vitality and momentum into the theoretical deepening and practical innovation of contemporary dance creation, as well as the development of dance artistry in Chongqing. As a national-level academic institution for dance research, the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts holds the distinction of being China's first institution authorized to confer both doctoral and master's degrees in Dance Studies, pioneering the cultivation of advanced talents in this field. The successful hosting of this conference has laid a solid foundation for strategic collaboration between the School of Arts of Chongqing University and the Dance Research Institute of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.
