Taking a break from the amazing feats of the human body seen on the Olympic Green, audiences at the Chaoyang Culture Center enjoyed another celebration of the human body: dance!

The first ever booking DANCE FESTIVAL beijing was held last week at Nine Theater of the CCC. Artists from around Beijing including the National Ballet Company, Beijing Modern Dance Company and TAO Studio collaborated with two renowned US Dance companies making their Beijing debut. Kim Robards Dance and Odyssey Dance Theater brought two unique styles of dance to the stage meant to coincide with the international vibe of the Summer Olympics.

The proceeds from the festival went in part to the charity group, Hua Dan.

Both US companies performed well and Odyssey Dance Theatre was particularly well received by the audience. Their most interesting work, "The Factory" told the story of a factory where the world's finest hip-hop dancers are created and produced. As expected, technical difficulties lead to a break down on the production line and the products let loose on the dance floor complete with audience interaction. The dancers wore factory-type uniforms which was a refreshing change from the usually half-naked look of hip-hop seen on MTV. The Factory, along with the other Odyssey Dance pieces, demonstrated strength, beauty and entertainment perfectly blended.

As a native Coloradoan, I was excited to see Kim Robards Company. Both the music and dance was more traditional compared to the other companies involved. It was nice to see a range of ages in the dancers and Ms Robards has a gift for presenting group dance in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

The most fascinating parts of the show for this Westerner were the Chinese performances. TAO Studio presented a piece entitled "Double" in which two dancers moved in nearly perfect symmetry throughout the dance mixed with some tension and dissonance as well. Choreographer Tao Ye explains that the whole piece--costumes, movement, and music--comes out of an organic creative composition.

The World Premiere of Kunqu Vision by the National Ballet of China was simple, yet moving in its beauty and expression. World renowned choreographer Fei Bo uses the ancient form of Kunqu opera to discover a new kind of modern expression. It was a definite highlight of the evening.

The old adage "save the best for last" was certainly true with the performance piece "Insect" by Beijing Modern Dance Company. Yang Chang becomes a mosquito on a line between night and morning, asking the questions "what lies between this life and the next?" and "what does an insect feel--love, heartache, loneliness--living his life in one small place?" A huge swinging pole was the stage for this amazingly unique and captivating performance. "Insect" is the final part of an evening-length work that explores the Buddhist concept of rebirth and the soul's search for unrequited love. After the show, some audience members expressed a feeling of depression felt after watching the piece and it made me think about the fragility of life on many levels.

The evening was a demonstration of the immense strength and extreme fragility of the human body which parallels the feats and defeats of the Summer Olympics held simultaneously across our fair city.