“It is incredibly beautiful, and everyone has been so welcoming, loving and nice. No matter what style of dance we are doing, it is a universal language like music, and we don't have to speak it to communicate. Dancing is a way that we all can express ourselves and different emotions. It's so cool to me that I can come to China, dance with people here and feel a deep connection with them,“ he said.

　　Chinese and American youths jointly present a captivating dance performance at the East China Normal University in Shanghai on June 6. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　Accompanying the teenage dancers from Utah were several parents who also enjoyed the performances. Verronica Ortega, 40, is among those making their first visit to China together with her 12-year-old daughter. Her father, a former aerospace engineer, had lived in Chengdu, Sichuan province for about six months in 1996, and she has been looking forward to visiting China for a long time.

　　As a huge fan of arts, she was impressed by the Chinese culture and the atmosphere of passion and creativity for arts at the university. She was especially fascinated by the charm of traditional Chinese dancing.

　　Chinese and American youths jointly present a captivating dance performance at the East China Normal University in Shanghai on June 6. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　“The traditional (Chinese) dancing is so elegant. When they move so peacefully, you can see the expression in their eyes and everything tells their story. It is so fascinating, impressive and also inspiring,“ she said.