Rising from the ashes

After fire destroyed her theater, dancer transforms loss into creation with renewed strength and vision, Chen Nan reports.

As dancer-choreographer Xie Xin walks through the doors of her newly reopened dance studio Xiexin Dance Theatre in Shanghai, the quiet hum of the space seems to echo her thoughts. Sunlight filters through tall windows, washing over 2,000 square meters of freshly painted space.

Her eyes flicker over the new rehearsal rooms, the clean wooden floors gleaming in the sunlight. Every corner of the studio carries her mark, conceived as a sanctuary of creativity, and every detail reflects her vision — a place where her dancers can explore, push boundaries, and give their best performances.

She pauses and points at a door, as if reconnecting with the past while embracing the future. It is the door salvaged from her original studio, which was gutted in a fire last year. Yet here, in this new space, she and her dance theater find rebirth.

The fire left her with scars not only on her theatrical space but also on her spirit. Yet, instead of letting the tragedy close a chapter, Xie chose to transform it into fuel for her art. Out of the ashes came her new creation, In Satie/The Rite of Spring. As she says, the challenge only deepens her connection to the work she does.