Wu Yandan was one of those 28 and graduated in 2004. She had started studying Chinese folk dance at the Beijing Dance Academy when she was 13. A native of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, she didn't like the traditional education model and had been seeking freedom via books and music.

"Everyone learns the same moves and has the same facial expression, which I hate very much," Wu says. "On the contrary, modern dance emphasizes showing emotion. My body speaks for me."

The first thing the young women did upon joining the class was cut their long hair - a request from Yang.

"Long hair is typical of girls from the Beijing Dance Academy. She wanted us to forget about our past dance education and old habits, and restart. I volunteered to be the first one. For me, then 18 years old, it felt like a baptism," Wu recalls.

With teachers from France and the US, the students received comprehensive modern dance training, learning everything from basic skills to modern dance history and philosophy.

Some of the graduates from that class, such as Duan Ni and Dai Jian, became highly regarded by international dance companies.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn