Guangdong Modern Dance Company hits Shanghai with Burning Marches — a high-energy dance show blending street fashion, Cantonese vibes, and parkour. Directed by Yang Zhen, it’s three acts of raw movement and poetic fire featuring the full GMDC crew.

“BURNING MARCHES” Lands in Shanghai

Where Street Fashion, Guangdong Culture, and Parkour Collide

A new wave of contemporary expression ignites the stage in Shanghai as BURNING MARCHES arrives with a powerful blend of street fashion, Guangdong’s local culture, and modern parkour. This explosive dance drama pulses with poetic energy, channeling the heartbeat of youth into a raw, physical performance.

Tearing through the restraints of everyday life, the show invites audiences into a visceral world where pounding drums drive bodies into motion and inner emotions burst forth in a blaze of movement. It’s more than just a performance — it’s a primal surge of life that strips away illusion and sparks a shared awakening.

Introduction

Set against a backdrop of urban greenery, BURNING MARCHES surges with uncontainable vitality. It is a rhapsody forged by the present moment, echoing through the concrete veins of the city. Through poetic choreography, the performance honors the passage of time and the enduring love for the motherland, while also delving into the wild roots of passion that spread underground, ready to erupt.

Led by dynamic movement and emotionally charged expression, the production immerses the audience in a world of intensity and desire. The dancers embody the turbulence of the human spirit and its ceaseless yearning for the future, revealing the power and grace of contemporary dance at its most potent.

Fusing East and West

Directed and choreographed by Yang Zhen, BURNING MARCHES bridges Eastern and Western aesthetics through movement. Yang’s work reflects his ongoing exploration of how Asian cultural symbols are reinterpreted across borders, particularly in the realms of fashion and visual expression. His performances challenge conventions and celebrate stylistic innovation.

The show unfolds in three distinctive acts as part of the BURNING MARCHES trilogy — a bold redefinition of modern beauty.

The Three Acts

ACT I: Woman Today
Beauty in Her Terms
A tribute to womanhood in all its facets — effortless, wild, strong, smart, and free. This act is a celebration of the diverse ways femininity manifests in today’s world.

ACT II: Flame & Boys
The Poetry of Masculinity
An exploration of strength in softness. Here, the male form is reimagined through vulnerability, with muscular bodies revealing the delicate truths often hidden beneath.

ACT III: Afro Spirit Collective
Urban Tribe in Motion
Wearing the uniform of a generation — sneakers, hoodies, and denim — the dancers traverse time, moving forward while echoing the past. Individual energy builds into a collective fire, lighting up the imagination of a community.

Creative Team

• Producer: XIONG Jian
• Executive Producer: CHEN Xue
• Concept & Choreography: YANG Zhen
• Movement Composition & Performance: GMDC Dancers
• Lighting & Stage Design: LOW Shee Hoe
• Music: Ori Lichtik (France)
• Costume Design: GMDC Dancers, Yang Zhen
• Choreographic Assistant: PENG Mi
• Visual & Image Design: ZHANG Yongji
• Promotional Video: LIU Yuzhe

Featured Dancers

Belinda ZHANG, LI Siyu, ZHANG Yuting, GUO Fan, FANG Suying, LIU Yan, YANG Xianjie, XU Xiang, LU Jiahua, Ke Xiaoshan, GAN Bailu, CHAOBU Liga, CHEN Baiyu, HUANG Yongying

About the Director

Yang Zhen is a theatre director and choreographer known for his multidisciplinary approach and socially engaged themes. He investigates the aesthetic relationships between individuals and collectives in diverse cultural contexts, using real-life social experiences as creative material.

Yang’s work has been featured at Julidans (Netherlands), the International Contemporary Dance Festival of Munich (Germany), Aurillac Dance Center (France), TPAM (Japan), Taipei Arts Festival, and more. He was named “The Most Influential New-Generation Choreographer” by Tanz magazine in 2016 and “Annual Asian Choreographer” by Julidans.

His critically acclaimed works include Minorities, Destination, Just Go Forward, The Field of Hope, Delta, Jasmine Town, and Hommage.

About GMDC

The Guangdong Modern Dance Company (GMDC), established in 1992, is mainland China’s first professional modern dance company. Based in one of the country’s most dynamic regions, GMDC is celebrated globally for its bold, visually arresting performances.

Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the big success stories of international dance” and “a pacesetter with a difference,” GMDC is renowned for its innovative, inclusive artistic vision. The company has performed at top festivals across dozens of countries, with works that reflect Guangdong's rich cultural spirit and global artistic dialogue.

• Stage & Dance