Obsessed with the moves

Faded Monologue, choreographed by Ma Bo, will open the festival.[Photo provided to China Daily]

They'll perform their newest production, OCD Love, inspired by the Neil Hilborn's love poem, OCD, at the PLA Theater on July 24.

DJ Ori Lichtik sets it to techno. Gai Beihar, choreographer of the Israeli company, calls his music "a great inspiration and strength that can completely change the direction of the piece".

Cheung says the festival always introduces a handful of relatively unknown but quality works.

To this end, New Zealand's Atamira will stage its Maori cultural piece, Moko, at Beijing's Nine Theater on July 25.

"It's interesting to see how tradition negotiates with the contemporary world," Cheung says.

The festival will also bring three Spanish choreographic works.

Cheung says this collection will give the audience a more multidimensional perspective of Spanish contemporary dance.

The Beijing Dance Festival was launched in 2008. It features a camp for amateur dancers and master classes for other performers.

"While contemporary dance isn't mainstream in China, the market is improving every year," Cheung says.

Ticket sales respectively improved by 20 percent and 45 percent in 2013 and 2014, she says.

Sales at least nod toward a revolt, if not a revolution.