Ouyang Wenliang (Owen), former Guangdong Modern Dance Company dancer, chose to quit the stage and joined the GMDC training centre as teacher. The choice of moving from the glamour of the stage and warmth of the audiences’ applauses to a modest ‘cultivator’, some people expressed surprise and even sympathy. But for Ouyang, it is an important extension of his modern dance arts career. He feels that it is a precious chance for him to precipitate and reflect on what he has come through in his past years as a modern dance dancer and choreographer.

Following is an extract from a conversation with Wenliang’s ：

Wenliang: I remember I once chatted with my schoolmates in the university about wishes and found that the answers we gave were surprisingly similar. The first wish we named was to have a good body (in respect of a dancer); the second wish was to have a yet better body; and the third wish was left open, probably reserved for this ‘body’ stuff as well.

The time flies and following the growth in age, my understanding and feelings for the body has intensified and I am eager to share my experience and thoughts with the others.

People here have different views on modern dance. Many still think that it is mythical. Others believe that it is a path to benevolence. As the first professional modern dance company, GMDC seems to bear a mission. In 2004, the company started a training centre. I believe this is a good base to promote the arts and its spirits. Personally, this is the place for me to realize myself in this stage of my dance career. The process of teaching gives me a good chance to comb through what I have got, both in my mind and in my body, in the past years as a dancer/choreographer, to re-digest them and to share them with the student.

Students of the training centre vary in age, background and occupation. In the amateur courses, students to whom modern dance is a hobby, come from all walks of life. Students in the full time day course include professional and those who wish to become a dance professional. Working with them is a challenge to me because now what I face is not my own single body but each and every one of the various bodies. My mind and vision are stretched. As a matter of fact, it reflects the underlying vision of the training centre: to nurture a broad mind, to know and express the self. I hope that during my terms, I will be able to realize this on the students and we can all look forward to an active and free growth of the arts.