Reimagine an ancient ritual and past self through dance and poetry

Shanghai wears her heavy mist like an ancient, beloved shroud. Within her embrace, ghosts and Gods of the past are resurrected as inhabitants forge relationships with the land. In 舞祀 Movements, artist and director Chenshuo Xu and dancer Jiayi Fan delve into the immense power of local narratives, invoking myths and memories through dance and poetry. Originally stemming from a project with fashion designer Ling Li, the short film is a meditation on a particular form of ceremonial movement practised by a community in Shanghai. 舞祀 Movements imagines Jiayi Fans return to her hometown as a journey to discover what dance truly means to her. The dancer reflects on her childhood experiences with her grandmother, where memories of Shanghais Chenghuang Temple and the Huangpu River were always veiled in mist. The boundaries between the stage and life blur as she tries to reach her past self through dance and understand the events that transpired in her Contin