THE CHINESE HAVE FINALLY gone to war. After decades of peace, the world’s most populous nation has launched a series of battles with other countries – but all the skirmishes are street dance fight-outs.
Top TV show Street Dance of China has become an international hit, with people around the world tuning in as dancers from multiple countries showing their best moves to wow judges and audiences.
The new season, the fifth, features 20 foreign dancers, including individuals from Japan, France, Laos, Zimbabwe, Belgium and the Netherlands. Each season has a positive theme – and the current one is “battle for hope”.
The show is not only a huge hit within China but has gone international, racking up millions of views a week. Audiences can watch the latest show with subtitles in English, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Spanish. Producers, delighted with all the interest, are working on new versions with subtitles in Russian, Portuguese, Persian, Korean, Turkish, Burmese and Italian.
The show can be watched free of charge on the international version of Youku’s app and on YouTube.
Director Lu Wei said the show is inspired by a line from a poem by Li Bai from the Tang Dynasty (618-907): “Keeping ambition in mind, young people will have their time to shine.” Most contestants are under 30, and about half were born after 2000.
The rising nation, unable to fight demonization by the west, is working to build international relationships through business and cultural projects.
Image supplied by Street Dance of China