Dubai: At 6pm on June 25, 2023, a sensational hip-hop dance ignited the stage at the Theatre in Mall of Emirates. The place was energised by three hundred teenage dancers, with the youngest performers being four years of age.
The event – the second Dubai Flower International Youth Dance Festival, was organised by the Sinfei Dance Training School in the UAE. The first event was held in the same location on August 28, 2022.
Young performers from China, the United Kingdom, Russia, Philippines and France showcased 29 performances including Chinese traditional dance, ballet, jazz and hip-hop.
Xin Ying Sui, the principal of the organising school believes that the dance festival will make positive contributions to enriching the multiculturalism of the community.
Through the presentation of this art form, we will go beyond the barrier of language to communicate and understand each other.
“I’m proud and lucky to be able to contribute a little bit to the field of dance education in Dubai. Here, through the presentation of this art form, we will go beyond the barrier of language to communicate and understand each other. I hope today’s extravaganza shares the charm of dance with international audiences and dancers.”
The event was sponsored by multiple Chinese enterprises in the UAE, across sectors including food and beverage, real estate, education and media.
My dance is the 16th performance today. It’s a group dance with other 12 dancers – I cannot wait for our turn!
Jiayu Ouyang is a nine-year-old performer. She was excited for her Dunhuang dance performance at the festival. She said, “I’m nervous but excited at the same time. My dance is the 16th performance today. It’s a group dance with other 12 dancers – I cannot wait for our turn!”
Ouyang came to Dubai with her parents when she was three months old and is currently studying dance in the organising school.
Growing up in Dubai, Jianing Zou has been learning dancing for nearly five years now. “I turned ten years old this year. Today, I will give four group performances, including Mongolian dance, jazz dance and Chinese traditional dance. I want to thank all my teachers – Yaya, Huihui and Yiyi, they guided me in my performances and helped me a great deal.”
Celine Cruz participated in the vibrant opening hip-hop dance. The 26-year-old Filipino expatriate also helped in directing one of the hip-hop performances. “I didn’t expect the kids to be so good – they were fast in learning the dancing techniques.”
It’s amazing how this dancing community is tightly knit together. They preserve their traditional form of dances, which is important.
Working a full-time job in Dubai, dancing is a side hobby for Cruz. “I really like the kids’ outfits – they put their hearts into selecting them. It’s also amazing how this dancing community is tightly knit together. They preserve their traditional form of dances, which is important.”
Each performance told its own emotions and stories. The dancers' movements were fluid and graceful.
Dubai-based Haijun Wang, is an independent events director. He watched the show from the beginning to end, “As an audience member, it was an unforgettable experience - I witnessed the unlimited potential of young dancers from all over the world. Each performance told its own emotions and stories. The dancers' movements were fluid and graceful - they blended perfectly with the music to create stunning visual effects.
“What moved me the most was the professionalism and teamwork spirit displayed by these young performers. They underwent long training processes. Their tacit understanding and cooperation with each other demonstrated the power and charm of dance art.”
