Yearlong preparations for 70th anniversary set to culminate in three galas over weekend, Chen Nan reports.

The Beijing Dance Academy is known as the revered cradle for dancers in China. This year, marking the top Chinese dance school's 70th birthday, three galas are being held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Saturday and Sunday, which celebrate the academy's rich history and are an artistic gift to the future of dance.

The scale of these performances is nothing short of grand, with a total of 1,168 performers and crew involved, according to the gala's lead director Chen Weiya. Among them, 625 students from the affiliated middle school of the academy will take part, along with a group of rising young dance artists from the academy.

"We started to prepare the gala over a year ago. It promises to be a breathtaking evening, bringing together a dazzling array of talent from both alumni and current students. With performances that span multiple generations, the event will showcase the evolution of different dance forms — from classical Chinese dance, Chinese folk dance and ballet to cutting-edge contemporary pieces," says Chen.

The veteran director and choreographer is widely recognized as a leading figure in stage direction and a world-renowned representative of the craft. His remarkable career includes directing some of the most significant national performances, such as acting as the deputy director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the chief director of the gala The Great Journey commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China in 2021 and the chief director of the opening ceremony of the 31st FISU World University Games held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in 2023.