Pas de deux

Jiang Keyu and her husband Romuald Abbe.

Jiang and Abbe now consider that the experience opened their eyes to new possibilities.

Jiang's one-year contract in Cameroon stretched out to four years, and she and Abbe gradually became closer. In 2008, she returned to China after the project concluded and became a dance teacher. That year, Abbe opened a dance company and eventually decided to go France to pursue his career.

When Abbe visited China in 2012, he proposed to her and they were married in Beijing. Jiang says that even now they find it difficult communicating using spoken language, which can often be a headache. But the love of dance holds them together.

In 2012 they founded the Abbe Dance Company in Beijing, which aims to introduce a mixed style of dancing to people.

"To me most of the time creativity is a question," Abbe says. "I like to question people, sometimes just letting the body express what I want to say. Every time I ask questions, I have the opportunity of discovering a new direction, a new philosophy about the body and a new kind of body language. It's an opportunity to explore things."

Abbe says African dance emphasizes connection with the ground. All the power comes down to the ground, and it is on that the dance moves are based. He has found many similarities in learning Chinese arts such as tai chi and kung fu, he says.

As Abbe tries to build his connections with China, Jiang is deepening hers with Africa. In her work as a dance teacher she teaches mainly African dances tailored for Chinese.

"Chinese students are very interested in exotic African dancing, but they cannot deal with its strong power and rhythm, so I have to make changes accordingly."

chenyingqun@chinadaily.com.cn