Since then, Chinese dance dramas went into a prolific era. "A Shi Ma," a love story focusing on Southwest China's Yi people, was another representative work in the dance drama category.

"Yellow Earth" and "Gallop," pieces which displayed spirited young riders and their horses, are fine examples of both vivid body language and compact arrangement.

Chinese dancers then experienced a burst of creativity. Works choreographed during the 1980s and early 1990s displayed a spark of youthful vigor as the country underwent a rejuvenation following the cultural revolution.

Luo Bin said, "The past three decades, after the carrying out of the Reform & Opening-Up Policy, has brought in dancers with diversified expressions."

In 1980, at the first National Dance Competition, a piece called "Hope" stunned both the critics and the audience. The dancer used twisted, violent body movements to express his inner struggle in searching for meaning to his life.

Since then, modern dance, a form used to express the feelings of today's people, has been favored by Chinese dancers.

China now has modern dance festivals in Beijing and Guangzhou.

For the past three decades, various dance competitions in the country have been a catalyst for the production of excellent dancers and well choreographed pieces.

Major contests include the "Peach & Plum Award," which recognizes excellence in dance schools, and the "Lotus Award," which chooses winners from professional dance troupes.

In recent years, there has also been a widely televised biannual CCTV dance competition.

Many youngsters have risen from these contests to become stars.

The entrants display their formidable skills and stunts. For college students, such competitions are often their first public outings before enrolling in art troupes.

Works that have earned fame from dance contests include "Stepping Song," which imitates a Han Dynasty dance, "The Tang Emperor's Concubine," and

"Poet Li Bai."

Over the past decade, with Chinese performing arts in full blossom, many excellent dance dramas have been born. They became China's key works on the stage. These include "Dunhuang My Dreamland," "Terra Cotta Warriors," and "A Handful of Wild Jujubes." These dramas stood out, both for the dancing itself, as well as for their stage designs and overall visual effects.

Chinese dance strolled outside starting with ballet. "The Red Detachment of Women," which has been staged 2,500 times in China over the last 45 years, is frequently invited for performances in renowned international theaters.