Dancers perform Ode to Indigo Dyeing at the 10th Guangdong Provincial Mass Music and Dance Festival. [Photo/zhxz.gov.cn]

A group dance work from Xiangzhou district, Zhuhai, titled Ode to Indigo Dyeing, picked up a bronze award in the dance category at the 10th Guangdong Provincial Mass Music and Dance Festival, which concluded on Nov 1 in Zhongshan.

The festival received 877 works from across the province, with 92 selected for the finals. Ode to Indigo Dyeing was submitted by the Xiangzhou district cultural center and created by its Nanping town branch. It previously won first prize in the dance category at the eighth Zhuhai Mass Music and Dance Festival.

The work is based on the traditional indigo dyeing craft of Shawei village, now Nanping village in Zhuhai. Through the symbolic art of indigo dyeing, it conveys the peaceful, confident and resilient attitude of the local Tanka people, as well as the ancient Chinese spirit of craftsmanship.

The dance incorporates traditional techniques of dyeing, cutting and sewing passed down through generations, bringing the simple folk customs of the Tanka people into the performance and evoking collective memories.

The award recognizes Xiangzhou's strength in mass cultural creation and its efforts to revitalize local traditional culture. The Xiangzhou district cultural center said it will continue to explore local cultural resources and encourage artists to create more engaging works with local characteristics.