Feng Shuangbai: Hainan should host int'l dance festival

"I expect Hainan to host an international island dance festival that allows various world dances to gather here," said famous dance scholar Feng Shuangbai after the Culture and Tourism Forum on March 21 in Sanya, Hainan Province.

Feng Shuangbai, vice president of Chinese Dancers Association, thinks dance should play a role in Hainan's tourism industry.

"With an international dance festival, a global audience will be able to relate to the performances and share emotional experiences with the dances," said Feng. "Dances could be staged either in professional theaters or in open-air squares. Lawns or beaches could also provide a good stage for dancing, where the locals and tourists would be able to feel the originality and fun of the dances."

The Chinese Dancers Association is planning to cooperate with Hainan and make dance a part of the island's culture.

Feng said there are many music and film festivals around the world, but there are no dance festivals with international influence. If Hainan launches an international dance festival, it will no doubt help promote Hainan's tourism industry. Furthermore, Hainan's native minority Li people have a unique ethnic dance that could be performed with other global dances at the festival.