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Dancer Passes Torch
After establishing himself as China's ballet prince through years of painstaking effort��Yang Xinhua ��the once clumsy 'duckling ��'devotes himself to cultivating new generations of artists.
As Shanghai Star newspaper reports, Yang Xinhua is now vice director of the Shanghai Dance School. Although this role is new to him�� the school was the place where the "duckling" grew into a full fledgling and from which he flew into the spotlight.
Yang was born on the outskirts of Shanghai�� where he enjoyed the things that boys do. Nothing marked him for stardom. He liked singing and dancing with the primary school art group but he was not a formal member. Yang recalls that he "could not dance as well as the members."
But this outsider who was paid little attention was determined. He sat several rigorous examinations for the Shanghai Dance School and was admitted in 1973. The teachers at the school found that Yang had the physique and qualities necessary to become an excellent ballet dancer.
The teachers were proved right. Of his class�� nearly 20 per cent of students dropped out. More than half of them became ordinary dancers in dance troupes. Only 10 per cent became top performers. At his peak�� Yang was one of two top male dancers in the ballet field.
After graduation from the dance school�� he was assigned to the Shanghai Ballet Company. A range of international awards were testament to his skill. The apex of Yang's career was his 1994 performance at the Oscar Awards ceremony in Los Angeles �� which brought him global recognition.
Despite this�� Yang summarizes his career as merely "pleasant." This understates the hard training�� the sprained ankles and the tears and sweat shed to become an excellent dancer. "Like an athlete �� a ballet dancer must endure physical pain�� it's part of our life."
Yang has found that many of the skills he developed as a dancer help him in his new job. In both roles�� he has had to hide his true feelings. On stage�� he had to suppress any laughter at others' mistakes in order to stay in character. As a director �� he has to be strict with naughty students even though he loves them and wants to talk with them gently. "As a teacher �� I consider it my duty to help the students begin their dance careers smoothly��" Yang said.
As more parents send their kids to the school �� Yang feels it is his mission to educate the dancers. "The main problem the school has is finding good dance teachers��" he said.
Despite having his days filled with meetings and classes �� Yang still practises his dancing. "Basically�� I still feel like a dancer��" he said �� "and now I am just passing my dancing skill to the later generations."
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