Huang Doudou, Wang Ge, and Meng Yan give a speech in Shanghai: How Dancers in the New Era Dance with the People at the Olympic Games | Meng Yan | The Era

On June 5th, the Chinese Dancers Association organized a touring preaching group consisting of three winners of the 5th National Young and Middle aged "Dual Prosperity of Virtue and Art" Literary and Art Workers title - Huang Doudou, Wang Ge, and Meng Yan - to carry out preaching activities at the Shanghai International Dance Center. After the presentation, the three dancers also had close and face-to-face communication with Shanghai dancers.

Huang Doudou, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Dancers Association and Dancer, shared the topic of "Dancing with the People". He said, "Dance is an art that embodies the spirit of the nation and promotes patriotism. Dancers should go deep into the front line and dance with the people."

Huang Doudou recounted his experience of participating in the "Beijing 8 Minutes" closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics in 2004. At that time, he and many actors were transported by a bus to a barracks in the suburbs of Beijing. There was an oval shaped playground with a 7x7 square stage in the barracks. It was only then that they found out that they were rehearsing for the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics. "The closing ceremony was held in a circular space without a roof. After a few laps, we may not even be able to find the front view. Considering this, we were arranged to rehearse in an outdoor space."

After arriving in Athens, they encountered even greater difficulties. The closing ceremony and the last competition event share the same stadium. In order to ensure the competition of the athletes, there is no rehearsal for the closing ceremony, and it is performed directly. 40 minutes before the performance began, they learned again that there was a large piece of glass placed in the middle of the stage, which was very slippery.

At the last moment, everyone came up with a quick idea and poured carbonated drinks on the ground. Everyone wet their shoes until their socks were also wet. The sugar in the drink helps prevent slipping, but it can only last for more than 2 minutes. "The dance lasted for over 3 minutes, with the first 2 minutes relying on the sugar content of carbonated drinks to help stabilize our emotions, and the last 1 minute relying on diligent training and absolute understanding and trust among team members." Huang Doudou said.

In recent years, Huang Doudou has also tried to integrate art and technology, and spread dance art with the help of the Internet. "We should take the" creative transformation and innovative development "required by the General Secretary as the guide in our art work, and strive to break through the traditional dance performance style and space model through art exploration and practice, so as to show the Chinese style on the Internet platform in the digital era where we are now."

Like Huang Doudou, Meng Yan, Vice Chairman and Director of the Beijing Dancers Association, has an inexplicable connection with the Olympics. Her mark was left at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing.

As the leader of the creative and directing team for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the stunning scene of "Tai Chi" came from Meng Yan. During the creative period, she stayed at Shaolin Temple for a year and a half. "When you step into the mysteries of Tai Chi, let alone its cultural heritage, there are over a dozen different types. Which one do you want to use to represent China's tolerance and love, and to present the backbone of the Chinese nation?"

Collaborating with the chief director Zhang Yimou, Meng Yan felt immense pressure. No matter what homework she handed in, Zhang Yimou always said, "Think again.". After countless encounters with the wall, Meng Yan couldn't help but ask Zhang Yimou, "What exactly do you want?" Zhang Yimou replied, "I don't know, but I can't see any expression in it." Meng Yan left with a gloomy expression.

After settling for a long time, Meng Yan finally handed over her own work. When the Olympic Organizing Committee came to inspect, Meng Yan's team stood on the land of Daxing. In 2008, a young man dressed in a white Tai Chi suit rushed out like a sword, resembling a crane. When everyone gathered in the center of the stage, it started raining. "Everyone on site felt that this was our culture, our spirit, and our expression." In the end, "Tai Chi" amazed the world at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Meng Yan said, "I believe that only passionate creation, genuine investment, and diligent practice can radiate the charm of art."

In recent years, Wang Ge, Vice Chairman and Director of the Chinese Dancers Association, has created many excellent works rooted in national culture and focused on real life: "Flag" uses revolutionary romanticism to praise heroes; Father is a concern and reflection on the issues of an aging society; "Premature" focuses on the re employment of laid-off workers, seeking beauty in difficult life; "Grandma's Happy Life" showcases the rich and colorful life of the elderly in their later years; "Street Angels" focuses on sanitation workers, presenting their struggles, ordinariness, and greatness in an artistic way; The Last Pastoral is a call for the protection and protection of the natural environment

As the chief director, Wang Ge participated in the dance dramas "The Heavenly Road" and "Five Stars Leaving the East", which successively won the Wenhua Award. The former praised the spirit of the railway soldiers building the Qinghai Tibet Railway, while the latter told the story of the Han Dynasty border defense general. The success of these works cannot be separated from Wang Ge's multiple participation in the "Deepening Life, Rooting in the People" collection activities organized by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Dance Association. Through the practice of collection and creation time and time again, he realized that in order to create works that the people like, "one cannot just glance at the flowers, let alone skim through the surface. One must learn from the people and life."

In Wang Ge's view, "dual virtue and art" means taking virtue as the foundation, starting from virtue in art, and starting from being a good person in art. He said, "As literary and artistic creators, we not only need to improve our personal moral level, but also maintain attention to society, observe life, and use art to express the truth, goodness, and beauty in life. We must always remember that art serves the people, speaks for the times, and make art works a bridge for us to deeply dialogue with the people and social life."