The Ethnic and Folk dance competition, part of the National Dance Awards, kicked off on Nov 11 in Guiyang, Guizhou province.

More than 280 dance numbers entered and 51 were chosen for the final round. Selected from across the country and representing more than a dozen ethnicities, the dance numbers will be presented over three nights.

The opening night saw 19 solo-duo, pas de trios and group dances from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Tibet autonomous region, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and other districts and provinces.

"Dancers are like lotus flowers, pure and straight. And folk dance is like a blossoming flower found in wild nature," Feng Shuangbai, vice-president of the China Dancers Association said at the launch ceremony. " It has the most vitality of all." The National Dance Awards -- Lotus Awards represents the country's highest honor in the discipline. Results will be announced on Thursday.