A big draw of the ongoing Beijing Dance Festival is the Youth Dance Expo, showcasing works of budding artists in the modern dance category. Surprisingly, there have been some amateur dancers who bravely show their pieces to a picky audience of seasoned professionals and die-hard dance fans.

The Youth Dance Expo opened at the Star Theater in central Beijing on July 21. Over the next six days, the expo will showcase 49 modern dance pieces created by budding artists.

Four of the six pieces performed on the first day were choreographed and performed by students from dance academies, or independent artists who have been active in mini theaters around Beijing. But the other two are by amateur dancers.

Guo Xu runs a design company with her husband from New Zealand. When she saw a modern dance show two years ago, she fell instantly in love with the art form and started to train in her spare time.

After two year of frequent training at the LDTX modern dance company, she decided to go one step further, to attend the expo and dance on stage in front of professionals and dance connoisseurs.

In a piece choreographed exclusively for her by a teacher at LDTX, Guo performed like an old-hand. A self-confessed introvert, who is shy expressing herself in front of others, she gave a bold interpretation of a piece about self exploration, pursuing a goal despite hardships and being persistent in pursuing dreams.

Her technique may not be outstanding, but her performance kept the audience's attention till the end because of her concentration and the accuracy of her movements.

Song Yaotian, Beijing, said, "As the saying goes, you've got to dance like nobody's watching. That's fitting advice for an amateur dancer who may not be able to pull off touch moves like high kicks or splits. But, with a love for dance, a passionate desire to express herself and some courage, she can still have her moment to shine on stage."

Pooya Samimi, from Iran, is the other amateur featured on the first day of the expo. She is a teacher at an international school in Beijing. A fan of both dance and literature, she accompanied her performance with one of her favorite poems by a famous Iranian poet. The piece recalling her painful past struck a chord with the audience.

Other programs on the first day of the expo include one with strong ethnic elements, a solo about a girl's obsession with her lover who becomes her whole world, and a piece full of oriental, mysterious spirit with a South Korean choreographer and dancer. Whether professional or amateur, you get a message from the expo: as long as you have something to say and you're willing to say it with your body, everyone can be a dancer.