Willy Tsao, artistic director of BeijingDance/LDTX and a member of the Chinese Dancers Association council, talks with media on May 9, 2018. [Photo/china.org.cn]

"Talking about modern arts [in the Chinese mainland], people often think of first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, but in western parts of the country, modern arts are also developing well, although people often consider these places less-developed," said Willy Tsao, an organizer of the festival and artistic director with dance company BeijingDance/LDTX, at a media talk in Beijing on Wednesday. He is also a council member for the Chinese Dancers Association.

A veteran choreographer and educator in contemporary dance, the Hong Kong-born artist has been dedicated to promoting modern dance in China since the 1980s.

More details of the festival will be unveiled at a news conference on June 5.

Flourishing over a decade

The Beijing Dance Festival was initiated in 2008, and co-presented by BeijingDance/LDTX - a Beijing-based independent modern dance company - and Hong Kong's City Contemporary Dance Company. It's co-organized with the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.

The first Beijing Dance Festival invited only six dance troupes, including three foreign ones. Back then, it was a one-week event celebrated among a small group of artists. Since 2012, the festival has expanded to two weeks.

Due to its growing popularity and artistic influence in the capital, it has become an annual dance extravaganza, attracting veteran and young choreographers alike, along with dancers from around the world.

"As a pioneer in contemporary dance, the Beijing Dance Festival has gone through 10 years' flourishing development. We received funds for culture and arts from the Beijing municipal government in 2017 and have since then become an official culture brand of the city," Tsao said.

He said he hopes the festival could be developed into an international cultural phenomenon which could represent Beijing in the global arts arena.