China's socialism and its impact on dance conjure up stereotypical images of militarized uniform movements or the derivative dance of Soviet-style ballet. These tropes include the Maoist revolutionary operas from the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), during which emergent modern Chinese performances supposedly suffered a severe setback. Dance studies scholar Emily Wilcox, however, argues otherwise.

Wilcox explores a wide range of dance styles and diverse artists between the 1930s and the 2000s. During these decades, practices of and research into forms, identities and politics of Chineseness created divergent pathways of dance performances with a common emphasis on socialism. From this emerges a syncretic and hybrid genre now widely known as Chinese dance. The author defines it as ‘a contemporary concert genre that developed during the mid-twentieth century’ (p. 2), which deserves as much attention as modern Euro-American concert dances in Western scholarship. Wilcox argues that Chinese dance and socialism have shaped each other in ways that reveal what she terms ‘kinesthetic nationalism’, ‘ethnic and spatial inclusiveness’ and ‘dynamic inheritance’ (p. 6). Building on this, Wilcox's case studies illuminate Chinese dance beyond the hegemonic designations of the nation, ethnicity (Han Chinese) and locations (Beijing and Shanghai), demonstrating the plurality of its geographical locales and cultural positions ranging from a West African-inspired, socialist-themed dance theatre work in the 1960s (p. 149) to adaptations of folk peacock dance exemplary of ethnically diverse socialist China (pp. 89, 164–75). Its composite styles reference national and diasporic identities, folk and classical styles, and long-term sociohistorical changes. Aided by colourful illustrations of rare archival materials and video clips accessible online, Wilcox's work presents a holistic picture of how Chinese dance has grown in its negotiation with the tumultuous periods of modern and contemporary China.

Wilcox's chapters progress in chronological order, with each chapter addressing specific dance artists and works responding to pivotal moments in history. Among the rich set of examples that Wilcox cites to illustrate Chinese dance's dynamism and its socialist legacy, those that stand out the most are Chinese-Trinidadian choreographer Dai Ailian, Uyghur choreographer Qemberxanim, Korean choreographer Choe Seung-hui, and choreographer Yang Liping of the Bai ethnicity. Calling attention to the inclusivity and diversity inherent in the formation of Chinese dance, Wilcox proposes to reconsider the significant roles of non-Han Chinese, diasporic or foreign artists who innovated dance styles and trained younger generations of dance artists.

While the book's primary site of inquiry is dance, Wilcox shows that Chinese dance interconnects with theatre traditions, which will be of particular interest to readers of theatre history. For instance, Dai Ailian and her dance adaptations of Gui opera (traditional Chinese theatre xiqu performed in northern Guangxi dialect) and Choe Seung-hui's uses of kunqu (a Chinese opera form) illustrate their incorporation of gestures, puppets and dramatic narratives into a new genre. These initiatives were part of the early innovations for modern dance, which were distinct from Western dance as well as from folk and classical Chinese performances. The exploration into this imbricated relationship further illuminates how performance genres and styles conceived in the specific Chinese context often defied and challenged the Eurocentric narrative of the distinction between concert dance and theatre.

Wilcox's extensive survey leaves room for reflecting on contentions emerging from the role of Chinese dance in promoting state interests both nationally and abroad. The controversial Belt and Road Initiative that started in 2013 and seeks to connect nearly seventy countries through economic development projects is one such case. The initiative becomes a much-needed platform for Chinese dance's global circulation on the one hand, while its emphasis on ‘intercultural interaction and friendship’ (p. 201) undergirding the state-sponsored project may be increasingly seen as a pretense for the state's territorial and diplomatic expansion on the other. In lieu of directly addressing the political tension, Wilcox's conclusion remains open for readers to consider the socialist legacy that has transformed the artists’ worldview and the need to reinvigorate the radical possibility of pluralism espoused by it for twenty-first-century post-socialist China.