By: Anne Schulze
Shuqi Cong’s original and creative Chinese contemporary dance solo “Between Heaven and Earth” (Dancer/Choreographer) won the Elite Platinum Award at Taoli World Dance Competition 2023-2024 – Preliminary Summer-New Jersey Region Finals on May 4-5, 2024, and won the award Highest Overall in Age/Level Group at the competition. Moreover, he won the Outstanding Choreography Award for Excellent Choreography of “Between Heaven and Earth” at the competition. Taoli Dance Competition was founded 37 years ago in China and was the national high-level dance competition. In 2015, the founder of the Taoli Cup, Professor Pan Zhitao, initiated the Overseas Taoli Cup in the U.S. with the Pan America Chinese Dance Alliance (PACDA). Since 2018, the competition has been given a new name, “Taoli World Dance Competition,” to embrace more participants from different countries and areas in the world. Shuqi Cong’s achievement as a dancer/choreographer caught the attention of members of the renowned American dance community.
Shuqi Cong graduated with a Bachelor in Dance Education in June 2018 and with a Master in Dance Choreography from Minzu University of China in June 2022, a prestigious university in China. He demonstrated his strong personality as a dancer and his creative sensibility as a choreographer of Chinese ethnic and folk dance. While studying at the university, his dance “Fight” was submitted by Minzu University of China to the 8th Five Provinces and Cities of Northern China Dance Competition in August 2016. He won the Second Prize in Performing in the Professional Youth section with the dance “Fight” at the 15th Beijing Dance Competition organized by the Beijing Dance Association in July 2017. Being a young reputed dancer, Shuqi Cong was invited by Shen Wei Dance Arts to dance several times, among which he was invited to dance the “Integration” at the Shanghai International Arts Festival in May 2021; he was selected Chinese Dancers Association to dance “Rite of Spring” with Portugal Quorum Ballet at SHOAC Opera Hall in January 2018; and with Chinese dancers delegation, he danced “Destination” with foreign dancers in international touring of Germany and France from May to June 2021. These are all strong facts that show that he stands out in his specialty and has won appraisals from peers.
Shuqi Cong is also an award-winning choreographer. He choreographed the dance “Taste,” which won the Choreography Award at the Asian Dance Festival—Asian Dance Competition in Singapore in 2018. This is a renovated international-level award high honor for him, a young Chinese dancer/choreographer. Due to his excellence in dance choreography, he was invited by Wang Yuanyuan, Director of the Olympics, to choreograph the dance “Constructing a Snowflake” for group 96 dancers to dance at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which was the national important sports event and dance was a great success. He won the Certificate of Special Contribution issued by the organizer. Later, he choreographed the dance “Radiance” performed by Bai Xiaoyi from Central National Song and Dance Troup; the dance was live broadcast to the national audience on the 3rd Dance World Channel, CCTV, and was well received by audiences. Shuqi Cong’s original and creative contribution to Chinese ethnic and folk dance as a dancer/choreographer won recognition from peers of his specialty in China.
In search of the American dream, Shuqi Cong came to New York, an international stage gathering of professional dancers from all over the country. Recently, he was invited to dance at Love and Unity on May 18, 2024, and won the Certificate of Recognition from Sandra Ung, a council member, to dance at the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Celebration on May 30, as well as to dance at Queensboro Dance Festival on June 8, 2024. Shuqi Cong, an original creative dancer and choreographer, appeared to be committed, well prepared, and engaged to use his extraordinary ability in dance to promote the diversity of culture and arts in the United States. At Taoli World Dance Competition 2023-2024, his solo dance “Between Heaven and Earth” absorbed fine elements of Western contemporary dance into Chinese ethnic and folk dance and made two dance styles, one that received both the Elite Platinum Award and the Outstanding Choreography Award. His cultural background and individual artistry, as well as his ability to adapt to diverse techniques and demanding repertory, make him indispensable to both American and Chinese dance communities. Art is without aboard; he is expecting to continuously use his extraordinary talent as an artist to truly advance the dance world in this country and the world.
Published by: Martin De Juan
