Republic of Dance is articulated around the massive phenomenon of public square dancing in China. This type of dance mixes different Chinese dance styles, from folklore and traditional practices to modern national canons, aerobics, pop music, and selfie culture. The piece is a documentary in that it borrows from the individual stories of the five performers, born in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. The performance combines dance, story-telling, and videos, and revisits Chinese body memory through seventy years of history and education.

But ‘Republic of Dance’ also celebrates the very human joy of sharing positive moments with a community. The presentation of the performance is usually accompanied by public square dance workshops and presentations with and for the local audience, led by the performers and Xiao Ke ✕ Zi Han. Sharing this Chinese practice and remixing it with other styles is both fun and engaging.