With 10 years experience of Chinese dance education & choreography and a strong background in dance and cultural collaboration projects, Xiaowei is passionate about developing ways of connecting and working with local communities. A proud Chinese woman, proudly living in England, Xiaowei  has a particular interest in Chinese classical and western contemporary dance. Her identity, heritage and culture inform the decisions she makes and the way she lives her life.

Xiaowei has produced international work that has toured the UK. She is the Creative Director of Arts of China and is an Associate Artist on the Cheshire Dance and Movema Wildfire Associate Artist Development Programme (2021).

Living in the UK has brought Xiaowei opportunities and experiences that continue to broaden her knowledge. During the course of her MA degree, she was encouraged to learn contemporary dance despite having only trained in Chinese dance previously. Her movements and creative habits were limited to pre-existing patterns established through Chinese dance. After studying contemporary dance, she was able to notice how the strengths and weaknesses of both styles could help her improve as a dance practitioner. Through the Wildfire Rising Programme, she is looking to investigate this further – not only for improvement of personal practice, but to spread these ideas to benefit the wider dance industry.

Following a line of inquiry first established while pursuing her Master of Arts degree in Creative Dance Education at the University of Salford, Xiaowei  is now undertaking a research project to develop a ‘common ground’ between dance techniques and aesthetics from the dance practices of both China and the UK. This research looks to identify, analyse, and further develop potential benefits of Chinese dance technique for enhancement of contemporary dance practice. As an emerging practitioner, she hopes to bridge the gap regarding dance practices in both countries, fusing cultural and stylistic elements to generate unique findings.

"I believe that the realisation of other dance styles and genres leads to a shift in mindset, opening dance practitioners to more possibilities."

Xiaowei Lu