The Hindu : Sport : Beijing Games: Choreographer getting ready

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Beijing Games: Choreographer getting ready

WASHINGTON: Part of Shen Wei’s choreography is hidden on the gloves and socks of his dancers — until they begin to move.

As they appear onstage, one by one, it takes a keen eye to see that their hands or feet have been dipped in paint. The secret is revealed as the dancers sweep their arms, legs and entire bodies across the canvas floor.

By the end of a recent performance at the John F. Kennedy Centre of Performing Arts, the dancers had paint on their faces and in their hair. And they had left a huge, abstract artwork with a rainbow of colours.

The performance of “Connect Transfer” is an example of the work that has propelled Shen’s fast-moving career in modern dance since he founded New York-based Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2000.

Now Shen is taking his art to one of the world’s most visible stages — the Beijing Olympics — as principle choreographer of the August 8 opening ceremonies. He is the only American choreographer on the ceremonies’ creative team.

Shen sees his work as a way to bridge the cultural divides that will converge in Beijing. — AP

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