Shanghai Theatre Academy celebrates International Dance Day

The Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) hosted a series of events towards the end of last month to celebrate International Dance Day 2026, which fell on April 29.

Under the theme of "Dance: A Shared Future", this year's STA program brought together scholars, educators and artists from China, Australia, France and the UK for week-long workshops and an academic forum at the Shanghai International Dance Center and its Changlin Road campus. It is the seventh year running that the STA has organized events to mark the UNSESCO recognized global day of celebration.

At an event ceremony on April 29, STA President Huang Changyong spoke about the relationship between artificial intelligence and dance education and creation, drawing on the academy's newly established "Digital Literature and Art Innovation Laboratory" as an example.

Huang insisted that, amid technological transformation, art must ultimately remain rooted in humanity and the human heart, setting a humanistic tone for the discussions that followed.

The keynote forums addressed six panel topics: Inclusive Dance and Social Integration; Ethnic Dance: Cultural Identity and Cultural Integration; Public Expression and Chinese Practice of Dance from the Perspective of "New Forms of Literature and Art for the General Public"; Dance Creation and Aesthetic Shift in the Digital and AI Era; Dance Education and Talent Cultivation in the Context of Science Arts Integration; and Dance Therapy and Human Well-being. Drawing on perspectives from historical genealogy, neuroaesthetics, public cultural governance, psychosocial support, and digital media, scholars and practitioners examined how dance is being reshaped by globalization and digital intelligence. The sessions explored both the opportunities and challenges that technological innovation brings to dance creation, dissemination, and education, while reaffirming dance's irreplaceable role in promoting individual dignity, social integration, and human well-being.

The forums were livestreamed, recording more than 25,000 views and drawing wide participation from dance practitioners and enthusiasts far beyond the venue.