A local dance group performs in Dabancheng district, Urumqi, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on July 11, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of the Integrated Media Center of Dabancheng District

Clad in dazzling costumes representing the vibrant traditions of Korean, Mongol, Tibet, Kazak and Miao ethnic people, a 30-member troupe - comprised of local civil servants, returning college students and villagers - lit up the stage at the "Our Village's Dance" competition in Dabancheng district, Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"Despite an average age of 52, our team just wrapped up two months of rehearsals with no one complaining," Chen Yonghua, the team leader, told the Global Times. 

Thanks to their standout performance in the competition, the team won first place in the district-level contest and was selected as one of the three troupes representing Dabancheng in the upcoming city-level "Our Village's Dance" finals on July 25.

"We want to use our most vibrant dance moves to show the world that Xinjiang is not only a fertile land for harmonious coexistence among ethnic groups, but also a dynamic place where diverse cultures deeply integrate," added Chen.

Movement in motion

As the year of 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the "Our Village's Dance" competition - launched in April and ends in August - stretches across the region, encouraging dance enthusiasts and folk troupes from prefectures, counties, townships and villages to take part in a celebration of village cultural vitality.

Through a rigorous bottom-up selection process, 42 teams from across Xinjiang will ultimately qualify for the final competition and showcase in Urumqi. 

Now, with the July 25 city finals around the corner, 24 standout teams - three from each participating district (county) - are preparing for the final showdown.

Dabancheng has fully embraced the initiative. In the district's preliminary competition on July 11, 13 teams representing all eight townships and streets of Dabancheng presented 16 dynamic routines. 

These included classical, ethnic, modern and square dance styles - all grounded in everyday village life. The youngest dancer was 20, while the oldest was 68, according to the organizers.

The dance team from Donggou township has attracted audiences with their vibrant performance of Yongjun Yangge at the competition. The troupe's powerful drum formations, featuring dancers lunging forward with waist drums slung and drumsticks swinging.

Team leader Ma Liping told the Global Times that the group spent a month to perfect the choreography and rehears on local trails during downtime and indoors when it rained. 

"The more we practiced, the more our energy grew, and our neighborhood bonds became closer," said Ma. "We want the sound of our drums to express the people's gratitude to the Party and their aspiration for a better life," added Ma.

After intense competitions, Dabancheng has selected three standout teams to the Urumqi City finals: Xuanwu Minfeng (ethnic fusion), Qinghua Ci (classical dance), and Hi Zouma (ethnic-style street dance). These performances feature a total of 66 local dancers from a variety of backgrounds.

Ethnic fusion

Hi Zouma, which took third place in the competition, is a fusion of the expressive movements of Kazak folk dance and energetic street dance. The project began as a challenge.

 "Many dancers had never encountered street dance before," Xiao Ying, a deputy director of Dabancheng's Cultural Center, told the Global Times. At first, their movements lacked precision and rhythm.

After months of dedicated practice - often using their own break time for extra rehearsals - the dancers grasped the key techniques and mastered the choreography, according to Xiao.

Meanwhile, Qinghua Ci, presented by a dance troupe from a local street, won second place in the district contest with its depiction of porcelain beauty and ethnic unity. 

Dressed in white costumes and holding blue lotus-shaped fans, the dancers used graceful, flowing movements to evoke the timeless beauty of blue-and-white porcelain.

"We aim to draw upon the panoramic landscape of Dabancheng - its mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes and grasslands - to showcase the rich and unified diversity of Chinese culture," lead dancer Chen Chen told the Global Times. 

Team leader Chen Yonghua told the Global Times that the dance, brought to life by performers from Han, Uygur, Kazak and other ethnic backgrounds, took nearly two weeks of intense rehearsals. 

"Every dancer poured their heart into it, driven by a shared love for traditional Chinese culture," she said. "Blue and white porcelain embodies the essence of our nation's cultural heritage, and our dance reflects the same spirit of exchange and mutual learning," she said.

Beyond the top three, other teams brought their own flavor to the stage. Some celebrated Tibetan traditions are interwoven with grassroots passion. Others honored patriotic themes, evoked the camaraderie between the military and civilians, or expressed the joy of rural life through easygoing, relatable moves.

"It isn't just about competition; it's a stage for showcasing the cultural achievements of the people," Wang Xiaomei, director of Dabancheng District's Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism, told the Global Times.

 "These 16 performances cover everything from love of country to ethnic customs and everyday life, proving that village dance is deeply rooted in the heart of the community," added Wang.

Looking ahead, with the August autonomous region finals on the horizon, Dabancheng hopes to make its mark on the bigger stage.