MB News I “Women In Motion at West Bund” second edition, highlighting extraordinary choreographers and celebrating female creativity

From April 14 to 16, 2023, the audience in Shanghai had the chance to attend the second edition of Women In Motion at West Bund, a choreography festival that presented the work of renowned choreographers Régine Chopinot, Wen Hui and Wang Mengfan, alongside workshops and educational programs. A very rich program in support of female choreography, brought by the Centre Pompidou and the West Bund Museum, in partnership with Kering.  

After the success of the first edition in 2021, this spring saw again the West Bund Museum filled with dance performances, films, and public programs, during the second edition of Women In Motion at West Bund. The much-awaited festival gave French female choreographer Régine Chopinot and the Chinese iconic female choreographer Wen Hui the opportunity of an extraordinary collaboration, where they worked together for the first time to create a new piece: the dance film Outredanse, a choreography that pays tribute to the “Black Light” of the art master Pierre Soulages. Outredanse was performed and filmed at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and premiered at the West Bund Museum on the inaugural night of the festival. 

Wen Hui‘s historic piece Skirt, first created in 1996 was reinterpreted by the new generation of dancers from the iconic Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theater. During the opening night Jin Xing addressed the audience to tell the story of this work, which was originally created upon her invitation to Wen Hui in the 90s and send a message of encouragement to the new generation of choreographers. 

Régine Chopinot and Wen Hui, together with Chloé Siganos, Head of Performing Arts at Centre Pompidou and curator of the program, engaged in conversation during the weekend. Régine Chopinot also held a masterclass, where she discussed her career and choreographic practice in depth with the public. 

Dancer and theater maker Wang Mengfan showcased her new creation, especially made for Women In Motion at West Bund, Narrative Fountain, which seeks to embody the form of memory, and how it can be creatively evoked through movement. During the weekend she also held a workshop for semi-professionals and amateurs.   

In 2015, Kering launched Women In Motion at the Festival de Cannes with the ambition of highlighting women in cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. The program has since expanded in a significant way to photography, art, design, and music. In 2021, the launch of Women In Motion at West Bund further expanded the influence of this program to choreography and dance for the first time. 

Based in Shanghai, MB Projects has been supporting Kering for the past three years in the strategy, project building and implementation of the different Women In Motion initiatives in China: Women In Motion at West Bund first edition in October 2021 and second edition in April 2023, as well as the first edition of Women In Motion Mentorship Program, launched in Shanghai in January 2023. 

MB Projects is a leading agency in cultural strategy and management in China. It was founded by Marion Bertagna, a trilingual China specialist, with 20 years of experience in China and in the culture field. MB Projects assists international and Chinese cultural institutions, creative industry companies, and brands wishing to explore opportunities, develop activities, implement cultural projects, build partnerships, or extend their visibility in China.
www.mbprojects-china.com