A man in black jumps high into the air. Before he lands, he makes a pose. With long white sleeves(袖子), he spreads his arms like wings. Sometimes, he carries a red fan(扇子). His dance is eye—catching, often attracting crowds.
He is the Chinese dancer Ma Jiaolong. Since 2020, he's made short videos of himself dancing in London. He has performed at the city's parks and famous landmarks like Tower Bridge. The 35-year-old has nearly 5 million followers on Douyin, where he shares his videos.
Classical Chinese dance connects martial arts(武术) movements with those of traditional Chinese opera. He started to learn it at the age of 12. He was attracted by the dancers who play ancient heroes through the movements of classical Chinese dance.
Later, Ma studied at the Beijing Dance Academy. Since 2019, he has been teaching classical Chinese dance at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Three years ago, Ma had to give online classes because of COVID-19. In his small home, he could only make small moves. One day, he took his wife's advice and danced at Greenwich Park, a popular tourist spot. She recorded Ma. He then edited(剪辑) the video, added music and sent it to friends. Surprisingly, they loved it, which encouraged Ma to share it online.
Later, Ma made more short videos. He connects his dance moves with amazing actions. Strangers like watching his performances. While dancing, he likes to interact with them. As his video spread quickly, he received messages from people around the world.
Now, making and sharing short videos has become a part of Ma Jiaolong's life and most importantly, a great way to introduce classical Chinese dance to more people, especially overseas viewers.