Shanghai, a metropolis that melds Western culture with that of the East, was the first city to absorb modern dance from the West.

As early as the 1920s, the city had hosted performances by foreign ballet troupes and folk dance groups from Europe.

Shanghai culture has been shaped by such an open-minded and trend-setting atmosphere. Dance has instilled energy and passion into people of all ages, from all walks of life. Dance schools are one way to help people savor their lives.

Talent is a gift given to very few, maybe one out of tens of thousands. The path it follows to becoming an artist is full of bumps and frustrations, as anyone who has tried it is well aware.

Most parents do not want their children to take this rugged path, especially those who have only one child.

On the other hand, parents want their children to be unique. They invest their money and energy in the child's development, regardless of the returns.

The kids are expected to be smart and versatile; they are not only required to get good grades in school, but are sent to all kinds of extra-curricular programs to learn the arts. Among these, dance schools are the most highly enrolled.

"My daughter started learning dance at five at the dance group of Shanghai Students Art Troupe. Her teacher told me she had talent for music, so I found a piano teacher for her when she was seven. Two years ago, I sent her to study singing," said Zhu Qingqing, a mother of an 11-year -old girl.

The mother said she does not want her daughter to be an artist, but wants her to be elegant and healthy.

Many parents turn a cold shoulder to professional schools such as Shanghai Ballet School. At the same time, they will rush to send their kids to amateur schools, according to Fan Lilian, director of the Dance Group of Shanghai Students Art Troupe.

"Better grades are still the major concern of parents, they are afraid if their children go to professional schools, their academic performance will decline," Fan said.

The Dance Group of Shanghai Students Art Troupe attracts many kids because it offers both dance training and the opportunity to enter key primary and middle schools.

"I chose the dance group so my daughter will not abandon her studies and she can enter Fuxing High School, as long as her scores are above average," said Chen Yan, whose daughter is in the dance group.

Emily Wang was a member of the dance group and now studies at Fuxing High School. The group invited the best teachers to give lessons to her and her classmates.

Apart from grades, achievement in dance competitions for amateurs will give the winner the edge in applying for scholarships from good universities. Parents rush to send their children to learn dance as a shortcut to enter university.

Most young people dance to achieve a better mood. The young, working generation is learning modern dance out of love for the art. They dance for happiness, for confidence - dancing is a way to express themselves.

"I learn it because I love it. It will not be useful to my work, as I am an office clerk, but I spent three hours each week at it. When I dance with the classmates here, I feel I am as free as a bird," said one girl named Ann, who is learning jazz and hip-hop at a local dance school.

Scores of dance schools have popped up in the city to satisfy such yearning by young people.

How do these school win over the hearts of the young whose desires are known to be capricious?

Dreams 52 Dance School stands out with an up-to-date teaching method introduced from the United States, shaping itself as a trend-setter. It gives students a feeling of freedom.

"The door of the classrooms are always open to students and spectators alike," said Yang Yang, president of the school.

Yang Yang started learning modern dance at the age of 16. After learning from China's top dancers and winning numerous awards, she yearned to take her skills to a higher level. "I changed everything I owned into dollars and headed for Los Angles."

There, she realized her dream of becoming a top dancer in Edge Performing Arts School Hollywood.

"I was sad to discover there was no other Chinese student, although Japanese students came in troupes." Yang went all out to study from the world-renowned choreographers who are also teachers for Michael Jackson, Madonna and Britney Spears.

"In the school, I came up with another dream - I should teach all I have learned in the US to Chinese people," she said with a smile.

"I always love dreaming, life without dreams is a tragedy. Every year I will have a dream and spend the whole year to realize it," said Yang. As if to prove her statement, her school's name - Dreams 52 - suggests five barley loaves and two fishes, the amount of food Jesus Christ divided to feed a multitude of hungry people.

"It is a place of dreams and miracles."

Between 1:00pm and 2:30pm on Sundays, carefree and rhythmic hip-hop music will fill the classroom and the hearts of dance students.

The teacher, Li Chuan, cheered up his students with his improvised raps: "Come on, come on. Believe you, believe me. Dance for happiness. Dance for confidence. Dance life's perfect." He ended with a loud "Yeah," and students responded with a chorus of "Yeahs."

"I always tell my students they can fully relax in my school. From Monday to Friday, they should be obedient employees or students, but here they can release all the pressure accumulated in a week. See, they are getting wilder as we teachers do. Shouting is also a way to release yourself," said Yang Yang, smiling.

With the "Unchained Melody," jazz lessons began at 2:30pm. Yang Yang led her students in an unrestrained yet elegant dance.

"We are not machines, let the rhythm be your heart beat, your movements are guided by the deepest part of your heart," came Yang's sweet, mellow voice, as she urged the students to explore their inner emotions.

The teachers have kindled the young people's passion for dance with their own passion and dreams.

Though no school specializes in teaching seniors to dance, many old people regard dance as their favorite activity.

"I learned to dance at 72, now I am 78. Dance gives me a stronger body," said Xu Baoshan, a Latin-dance lover.

Xu learned dancing in the park, where many elderly people learn from professionals their own age who are willing to teach.

(Shanghai Star 04/05/2001)