How old can a dancer dance to? Dialogue with 59 year old Hong Kong dancer Qiao Yangcheng | Baoji, Shaanxi | Hong Kong

Qiao Yang, who is 59 years old this year, reminds people of Sisyphus in Greek mythology.

She is a resident artist of the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Troupe, and there are very few full-time dancers of this age worldwide. She started dancing at the age of 12 and has been dancing from Chinese dance to modern dance for 47 years, from Baoji in Shaanxi to Guangzhou, and then to Hong Kong.

Qiao Yang has sharp short hair and fine wrinkles spreading around the corners of her eyes, but if you watch her dance, you will be amazed at how young her body is. From June 30th to July 2nd, "Qiao Yang 55" was performed three times in a row at the Shanghai International Dance Center. This 70 minute solo dance was a great test of skill, physical strength, and expression, which is unbelievable. It was completed by a 59 year old dancer.

"Qiao Yang 55" Performed in Shanghai

All of this comes from decades of extremely disciplined life. She has no children, goes to bed and wakes up early, abstains from unhealthy food, and invents a unique training and warm-up method that she strictly follows day after day, just like Sisyphus pushing a giant rock towards the mountaintop day after day, using all her strength to resist gravity. And what Qiao Yang resisted was the opponent who could never win - time.

Qiao Yang was born in Luogu Village, Wugong County, Shaanxi Province. At the age of 12, he was admitted to the Baoji Cultural Troupe to dance Chinese dance. Soon after, the place was renamed as the Baoji Song and Dance Troupe. On the evening of the premiere of "Qiao Yang 55" in Shanghai, former Xi'an Song and Dance Troupe actor Wang Yong sat on stage. 40 years ago, every weekend, Wang Yong would take a three hour bus from Xi'an to Baoji to teach Qiao Yang and her colleagues.

"I still remember the dilapidated practice room of Baoji Song and Dance Troupe at that time. The windows were not even glass, covered with plastic sheets, and outside the window was the railway. The rumbling of cars made you know what time the train from Beijing to Chengdu passed by every day. Qiao Yang worked very hard. In winter, she wore a military coat and big cotton shoes to practice, and in summer, you could see her sweat flowing down from her head and body until she completely soaked her practice shoes and formed a small stream on the cement ground." Wang Yong said.

In 1987, the Modern Dance Class of Guangdong Dance School was established, which was the earliest modern dance class in China and recruited students aged 16-21 across the country. At that time, Qiao Yang was 23 years old and still knew nothing about modern dance, but she decided to take a break.

18 students in the first phase of the modern dance class at Guangdong Dance School

In the exam room, the teacher gave her a bench and a piece of music, and Qiao Yang bravely started dancing. It wasn't until later that she realized it was called "improvisation". I have been learning dance for over ten years and have always been taught what the teacher teaches and what she dances. Years later, Qiao Yang asked the examiner at the time why he had been admitted to the exam without exception. The other person answered, and what moved me was the passion in her body.

Without telling his parents, Qiao Yang gave up his "iron rice bowl" and took a 44 hour train ride from north to south, crossing half of China. After day and night, day and night, she saw different landscapes and heard different dialects all the way, and finally arrived in Guangzhou. She became the first batch of 18 students in the modern dance class of Guangdong Dance School, and became classmates with Shen Wei, Jin Xing, Hu Qiong, and others.

Qu Xiao was also one of her classmates back then. On her first day in Guangzhou from Dalian, she was startled and said, "The weather was very hot, with tall weeds outside the classroom, moss on the walls, and a lot of mosquitoes. It was the rainy season, and the blankets were all wet. The hallway in the room was flooded with water. What's even worse, there was no glue in the classroom. After jumping barefoot all day, there were big blisters on their feet. Everyone wrapped it around with tape and continued jumping the next day."

There is a banner in the classroom that reads "Strive for the Development of Modern Chinese Dance". This sentence inspired this group of young people who came from all over the world to this classroom, and later became pioneers of modern Chinese dance, step by step stepping onto the world stage.

"Strive for the development of modern Chinese dance"

"At that time, we practiced continuously from morning till night, like a sponge absorbing fresh things and constantly trying to incorporate Chinese elements into modern dance," Qiao Yang said. She used her unique skill - water sleeves, and also from the Northeast, Jin Xing and Qu Xiao conducted experiments with Yangge dance.

At that time, the most affluent person in the class was Venus, who still received the salary of the original Shenyang Military Region Song and Dance Troupe. Everyone else quit their jobs and only received a monthly living allowance of 60 yuan. At the end of the day's training, everyone was tired and hungry. Venus used an electric rice cooker to cook a pot of delicious northeast rice. Everyone sat on the same bed, eating and talking with salted vegetables and Fermented bean curd. That was the happiest moment of the day.

Quickly, everyone's savings were all used up, and they could only practice martial arts during the day and take a minibus to the dance hall at night to earn some living expenses. Life is very difficult, with people leaving one after another, and Qiao Yang has also wavered. She asked herself, Qiao Yang, do you want to continue staying here and learning? At this moment, teacher Cao Chengyuan took out his savings and gave his classmates a monthly sum of money, so that everyone could focus on dancing without any worries.

In 1990, after studying in a modern dance class for three years, Qiao Yang and his partner Qin Liming were selected to participate in the Paris International Dance Competition in France and won the "Modern Dance Double Gold Award". This was the first time a Chinese modern dancer had won an award in an international competition. Qiao Yang still remembers that they danced two dances and made it to the finals with the highly Chinese style "Tai Chi Impression". They also won the championship with Cao Chengyuan's work "Chuanyin".

In 1990, Qiao Yang and his partner Qin Liming won an award in Paris

This trophy made more Chinese people aware of modern dance and directly led to the establishment of the Guangdong Experimental Modern Dance Troupe in 1992. This was the first professional modern dance performance group in China, and Qiao Yang and her classmates embarked on a new journey with great anticipation.

I have been dancing with the Guangdong Experimental Modern Dance Troupe for several years. At the age of 32, Qiao Yang joined the Hong Kong Urban Contemporary Dance Troupe founded by Cao Chengyuan. I have been dancing for 27 years and have starred in many works such as Li Haining's "Nine Songs", "Women's Book", "A Tale of Two Cities - Hong Kong and Shanghai - Eileen Chang", Cao Chengyuan's "Three Thousand Petitions", and Sang Jijia's "That Year, This Day". Her dance partners left the stage one by one, but she was still on stage. The youngest dance partner was 36 years younger than her.

Li Haining choreographs "Nine Songs" Photography: Chen Dechang

"Qiao Yang is a warrior and also a dance lunatic," said Huang Diwen, her former dance partner and deputy artistic director of the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Troupe. Having worked together for many years, Huang Diwen witnessed many times when Qiao Yang faced unbearable physical pain, but she was never defeated. Even if her knees were ulcerated and purulent, even if half of her face was swollen, even if she had a spinal sprain and was taken to the hospital, as long as the curtain opened, she would dance as usual as if nothing had happened.

Cao Chengyuan choreographed "365 Types of Orientalism" Photography: Conrad Dy Liacco

Qiao Yang 55 was born in 2019 at the age of 55. Choreographer Zhou Shuyi spent 6 months with her, visiting her hometown of Baoji, and also watching stage footage of Qiao Yang over the past few decades, creating this work through documentary format. Zhou Shuyi kept exploring Qiao Yang's past, but he said that Qiao Yang showed him the future. The process of creating "Qiao Yang 55" is like climbing a mountain. "She climbed one mountain after another that I had not yet visited, and I thought, 'Why not go hiking with her and build another mountain together?'"

Qiao Yang and choreographer Zhou Shuyi are collecting wind in Shaanxi

In "Qiao Yang 55", Qiao Yang has a monologue about climbing mountains in Hong Kong: "Follow the cement path up Clear Water Bay Road, slowly climb up the stairs, walk in the sunlight, then see the towering buildings of Tseung Kwan O in the distance, and on the other side see the green mountains and waters of Sai Kung. Although the mountain road is rugged, the road is not long. As we approach the top of the mountain, the road begins to become steeper. I walk slowly, then see the endless Pacific Ocean in the distance, and vaguely even the Guozhou Islands in the distance. I am thinking that this mountain road has only been halfway, and it has not been completed yet." Every time she reads this, she always... I couldn't help choking up.

After watching Qiao Yang dance, Lin Huaimin said, "People often ask me how old a dancer can dance. Qiao Yang doesn't ask this question, just dances every day, and the better she dances. At 55 years old, she dances better than when she was young, with more vicissitudes and more maturity. After watching her dance, my heart is filled with emotion. I don't want to say anything, just want to protect that emotion, like when I was a child, holding my hands together to protect fireflies. I have never seen such an expression before, and I don't know if there will be a happy goodbye in the future."

During the performance of "Qiao Yang 55" in Shanghai, the reporter had a conversation with Qiao Yang.

Qiao Yang 55

Qiao Yang: Fighting on stage until the last second is certainly admirable, but if it were me, I would have strict requirements for my own body. You ask me how old I will jump to, but I have never had an answer or a goal. I just take a step by step and constantly evaluate my physical fitness. I can't jump when I gain weight, and I can't jump even when I give up. Because I believe that if the audience spends money to watch you perform in the theater, they must be worthy of them and also pass the hurdle in my heart.

Teacher Lin Huaimin once told me that I could have another one at the age of 60. I didn't dare to set this goal at that time because I didn't know what my physical condition was at the age of 60. I am 59 years old this year, and I have a clear idea of my physical condition next year. I hope everyone can come to Hong Kong next year to watch 60 year old Qiao Yang dance.

The main creative team of Qiao Yang 55

Qiao Yang: At the age of 20, my body is at the peak of my abilities and skills, full of possibilities. I started learning modern dance at the age of 23 and only then did I realize how free and wonderful modern dance is. There is a saying in "Qiao Yang 55" that goes, "Actually, I don't like to laugh." Dancing Chinese dance often requires laughter, but when dancing modern dance, if you don't like to laugh, you can avoid it. Modern dance has given me a lot of strength and freedom to express myself.

Dancer Dai Ailian and Qiao Yang Dancing in Shaanxi Classical Art Troupe

At the age of 32, I joined the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Troupe and began dancing the works of choreographer Lai Hoi ning. At that time, I realized that modern dance should be done in this way. It turned out that it wasn't just about movements and techniques, but more importantly, it was about shaping the characters and interpreting the core of the work. Growing step by step, the body is also growing.

Li Haining choreographed "The Book of Women" Photography: Chen Dechang

At the age of 40, I seem to have encountered a bottleneck. At that time, my sister passed away due to lung cancer, and my favorite dancer, Romanfi, also passed away due to lung cancer. Before me, she played Eileen Chang in "A Tale of Two Cities - Hong Kong and Shanghai". I suddenly realized how important health is. So I quit junk food, started losing weight, and also explored how to maintain health. I used to be very afraid of menopause. I started reading books about menopause before the age of 40 and kept waiting. By the time I turned 59, menopause had not yet arrived, and I still had no symptoms of menopause. I ate well and slept well.

Li Haining choreographed "A Tale of Two Cities - Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Eileen Chang" Photography: Chen Dechang

At the age of 50, I have become more disciplined than at 40, as if it has become a habit. When Shu Yi created "Qiao Yang 55" for me, we would enter the rehearsal hall at 9:30 in the morning and dance until 6:00 in the afternoon, gradually discovering new possibilities in our bodies. At the beginning of the rehearsal, I realized that I couldn't dance anymore. There were many small joints that I had overlooked and hadn't discovered before. After the premiere of "Qiao Yang 55," many people said, "I never expected that you could still dance like this, Qiao Yang.". This work has given me a new body.

Qiao Yang: Shaanxi Wugong is my birthplace, and my parents gave me life here. Baoji is my place of dance enlightenment, laying a good foundation for Chinese dance. At that time, life was very difficult, so my parents sent me to learn dance and take exams in cultural troupes. I am very lucky to start receiving my salary at the age of 12, sharing the burden of my family.

Guangzhou has broadened my horizons. The slogan "Striving for the development of modern Chinese dance" is not just a slogan. That's exactly what we think, so we try new things every day, incorporating elements of traditional Chinese culture into modern physical expression, and crossing the river by feeling the stones.

And Hong Kong has given me a richer artistic life. I feel lucky to be able to dance with so many different choreographed works at the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Troupe. Li Haining's works have helped me gradually lay the foundation and make my body thicker and thicker.

For example, in 2016, I adapted Li Haining's work "A Hundred Years of Solitude" from Marquez's literary original. The character I play, Usula, is a centenarian who cannot see through her eyes. In order to find this character, when I took the subway, I specifically observed the elderly people and the old ladies picking up garbage on the streets of Hong Kong, carrying a big bag and slowly walking forward. These observations of life slowly allowed me to enter the role. From her works, I also learned to ask why an action needs to be done, and I must find a reason. In this process, the body is progressing, and the mind is also advancing.

Jin Xing and Qiao Yang during the Guangdong Modern Dance Troupe

Qiao Yang: They are all pioneers of modern Chinese dance. They have commonalities and also have unique personalities. Shen Wei is a very good friend of mine. He is a true artist with a personality that is not very sociable, but our relationship is very strong. When he comes to Hong Kong, he often comes to me for tea. When "Qiao Yang 55" premiered in 2019, he specifically flew back from the United States to watch it. He is very talented, and besides dancing, he has also made many achievements in the fields of painting and installation art, forming his own unique style. When I was in Guangzhou, Shen Wei arranged for me to perform a solo dance called "Ask the Heaven", combining water sleeves with modern dance.

Shen Wei's "Asking the Sky" for Qiao Yang

Venus was the one with the best technical ability in our class at that time. At that time, our class only had one scholarship spot to go to the United States, and giving Venus a scholarship was truly deserving. Her personality is completely different from Shen Wei. She never hides anything in her heart, very direct, and not hypocritical. She also brought her husband Hans with her performance in Shanghai this time. Although she has done a lot over the years, her love for modern dance has never changed and she has been making money to support the development of the dance troupe.

"Qiao Yang 55" premiered in Hong Kong, with former classmates such as Shen Wei, Jin Xing, Qu Xiao, Yang Yuntao, as well as former executive director of the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Troupe Huang Guowei and current resident director Sang Jijia present at the performance.

Qiao Yang: There is no regret at all. When I was in Baoji, I told my colleagues who were dancing with me that I would never have children in my life, and they still didn't believe me. I think having dance is enough. I really enjoy dancing. Maybe with a child, I wouldn't be able to dance until now. Children will involve a lot of my energy. When I got married to my husband, I told him that I wanted to dance and not have children. He agreed and he has always been very supportive of me. I have two godsons now, both of whom were my dance partners and will be on the same stage as me next year. Dancing with them makes me feel very happy.

Qiao Yang: Some people leave due to physical reasons, such as pain, while others leave due to family reasons, such as becoming a mother. Everyone has their own choices, and no one's choice is better. And I have been able to persevere until now because I have always been lucky, without any major injuries, and have been protected by the dance troupe and my family.

I can't jump to the present without a healthy lifestyle and scientific exercise methods. Firstly, start with sleep and diet, followed by training methods. When in a good state, you can move more, while when in a bad state, you should reduce wear and tear to avoid injury. When I am very tired, I would rather stop for a while, stretch my muscles, and increase knee muscle strength. At the beginning of "Qiao Yang 55", as soon as the audience enters, they can see me practicing on stage. Each "artifact" is a tool that I really use in my daily life to assist me in training and warm-up.

In fact, I am a person without ambition. I have been in the same dance troupe for 27 years, and what I think in my heart is to dance every character well. It is really difficult for a person to persist in doing something for a lifetime, to overcome many difficulties, to have a firm heart, and to always maintain love. I may not do very well, but there is no life that is perfect. Just do what you love.

"Qiao Yang 55" Performed in Shanghai