We start today’s show in Shanghai, where the city’s annual International Arts Festival will open on October 18. Some young artists have earned the chance to perform for the first time at the festival, and they are also receiving some funding to allow them to keep on performing.

Pan Qin (潘沁) is a street dancer, while his partner Qiu Jirong (裘继戎) has a background in Peking Opera. They combined their interests with Taichi to create a show called "Melt".

Pan Qin, Street Performer, said, "The plot is that at first the world is in chaos, and it is separated into Yin and Yang with Taichi. Then a human being is born. He sings "What to do" because he starts to have various emotions. Then the young crashes with the old and we melt into one."

Some young artists have earned the chance to perform for the first time at the festival, and they are also receiving some funding to allow them to keep on performing.

Some young artists have earned the chance to perform for the first time at the festival, and they are also receiving some funding to allow them to keep on performing.

The dance was one of six performances picked to take part in the Shanghai International Arts Festival’s 2nd Young Talents Program. One of the judges said more than 100 pieces from all over the world competed for a spot in the program since March, although the six winners were all from China.

Tan Dun, Composer, said, "There are dance department. There are theatre department and music department and multi-media artistic department. Brief and conceptual and also very very personal, the three points are the most important judge points."

Tan said the six winning performances include one that combines shadow puppets and cartoons, and another that mixes Kunqu Opera with modern dance. He said people enjoy when art forms are mashed together, just as they like fusion cuisine.

Tan Dun, Composer

Tan Dun, Composer

I love to eat Sichuan food. But meanwhile we go to Sichuan food on the corner. There are some another choice for example if they have Japanese food corner to provide certain Sachimi.

The winning performers said the program provides a good platform for their creations.

"We have had this idea for two to three years, but we have not had a good platform. This time the theme of the young talents program matches our idea: a combination of tradition and modern." Qiu Jirong, Peking Opera Performer said.

"We will continue with this dance style. We hope to promote ourselves to stages outside China in ten or twenty years. It will represent new Chinese culture." Pan said.

Pan said the young talents program will help the chosen performers attend overseas art festivals. The six chosen pieces will be performed at the Shanghai Theater Academy on the week of October 19.