A Dance of Dunhuang

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Published: 23 Feb 2021

Updated: 27 Nov 2025

Time taken: >15mins

A Dance of Dunhuang

A traditional Chinese dance inspired by the ancient city of Dunhuang

Dance

Stream

23 Feb 2021

27 Nov 2025

>15mins

A Dance of Dunhuang

Beijing Dance Academy graduates who now reside in Singapore, Xiao Jing and Li Yingying perform a traditional dance inspired by the city of Dunhuang, once a major hub of communication and commerce along the Southern Silk Road in the ancient times. This performance took place on 22 Feb, 7.15pm at Esplanade Concourse as part of Esplanade's annual Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts.

Dunhuang is located in the middle of Asia and it is surrounded by the Mongolian highlands, the Taklamakan Desert of Xinjiang and the Tibetan Plateau. This county-level city is strategically located at the crossroads of the ancient Southern Silk Road and was considered the centre of communication between ancient China and the rest of the world, as well as a major hub of commerce.

In the past centuries, various religions, arts, languages and cultures from Europe, Central Asia and India have converged in this city. Their complete fusion with Chinese heritage has made Dunhuang culture a gem of the world.

Dunhuang dance draws inspirations from frescos, instruments and music scores found in the rock caves. It encompasses the charm of the Tang Dynasty and the sacredness of religion. The performance of the dance today is a resounding ring of the bell of history, chiming the reverberations of the past in modern times.

About Xiao Jing

Xiao Jing graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy and has been living in Singapore for the past twenty years. She has been working relentlessly in the Chinese dance scene, promoting and preserving the vocabulary of this traditional dance genre.

Xiao Jing plays various roles in her life: she is a mother who dreams of being an author; a dance instructor who advocates education on the foundation of love; a choreographer who is always racking her brains, and occasionally a part-time actor. She believes there is light in life, soul in dance, and that arts makes ordinary life extraordinary.

About Li Yingying

Li Yingying entered Beijing Dance Academy at the age of 11, learning classical Chinese dance and traditional folk dance. Upon graduation in 1995, she entered the China National Song & Dance Ensemble and came to Singapore in 2004, where she started teaching at various schools. She has aspired to be a dance instructor and hopes to plant a seed in every child who has passion for dance, and nurture them as they grow.

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A Dance of Dunhuang

A Dance of Dunhuang

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A Dance of Dunhuang

A Dance of Dunhuang

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