Toeing a joyful line at summer dance school

Participants with their certificates for attending one ISTD summer course in Beijing.

The 41-year-old mother, who is a human-resources manager, notes that unlike slim girls who typically pursue ballet, her daughter is chubby. "I am glad to see that she is confident and happy while dancing," says Gao. "We've shared ballet classes and progressed together, which is a beautiful memory for both of us."

Gao has been taking her daughter to ballet classes for nearly two years. She applied for the ISTD's summer courses in Beijing as soon as she read the announcement online. She knew the reputation of the London Ballet Society and wants her daughter to have a different experience in dance.

Wang Mingzhu, a 55-year-old ballet teacher who came from Shanghai for the program, agrees.

"In China, ballet education has a solid foundation from Russia," she says, because of the two countries' historic ties. "ISTD belongs to another school with a different approach."

Wang has taught ballet for 20 years, but says she was excited to learn new skills as well as teaching methods in the Britain-based program.

"The number of children who take dancing as their art education has increased drastically in China during the past few years," says Vivienne Saxton, ISTD ballet fellow and examiner. "We've observed that Chinese students focus on the accuracy of dancing techniques while ignoring their personal emotions. Through our teaching, we want the students to develop their personal interpretations and dance expression."