The Xinshi Dance Art Festival kicked off on Saturday in Xinshi ancient town of Deqing county, Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Xinshi Dance Art Festival kicked off on Saturday in Xinshi ancient town of Deqing county, Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, featuring diverse dance shows and cultural activities that blend dance art with local cultural landscape.

With a focus on fusion and environmental dance, the festival aims to showcase an innovative and inspiring presentation of dance art, which is set against the background of the natural, ecological and cultural landscape of the ancient town. Dancers turn the waterways, stone roads, ancient bridges and homes into stages, offering local residents and visitors a variety of contemporary, classical, folk and ballet dances.

Xinshi ancient town is now home to the Zi Huayun Dance Art Museum. Opening earlier this year in June, the museum is established in memorial of the notable Chinese dancer Zi Huayun. Widely known for stage works such as Flying Apsaras and The Legend of White Peacock and academic works including The Choreoecology, Zi is regarded as the first dancer in China to be recognized as much for her academic research as for her performances.

Initiated by Zi's daughter Wang Lei, the three-day festival staged performances from dance groups from across the nation, including Institute of Dance at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, Beijing Dance Academy and Zhejiang Song & Dance Theatre.

"Dance, as an ancient and vibrant art form, has been an important carrier for human beings to express their emotions and convey their thoughts since ancient times. We believe that the integration of dance rhythms and the scenery of the ancient town will create an incomparable harmony, which will draw more people here to explore its unique charm," said Luo Bin, vice president of China Dancers Association, during the opening ceremony.

He pointed out that environmental dance, combining dance with natural and humanistic environments, not only broadens the artistic boundaries of dance, but also brings audiences a brand new experience.

Feng Shuangbai, president of the association, added that environmental dance is not about taking a finished dance and placing it directly in a natural environment, but more about creating the dance in a specific environment. This requires environmental dancers to put their body movements, emotions and hearts into dance creation.

It is also worth noting that the some finalists competing for the recent 14th Lotus Award, the top national award for dancing in China, are among the showcasing performances.