Growing popularity

Chinese ballet dancers including Qu have been seeking answers on how to tell Chinese stories through ballet, a Western art form rooted in Europe's Renaissance period.

"Chinese ballet dancers cannot just perform world-famous romantic pieces such as Swan Lake and Giselle," Wang says. "Chinese ballet should have its own style, producing original works with a distinctive Chinese flavor."

Hua Mulan is among more than 20 such original ballets created by the Liaoning Ballet of China.

Other works, including the Last Emperor, Moon Reflected in the Second Spring and the Butterfly Lovers, have been staged in countries including the US and South Africa, with nearly every show close to a sellout.

"Language is not a barrier for people to appreciate ballet. The stories can be effectively told through music, stage settings and the dancers' performance," says Svyda, a Russian ballet teacher at the dance school of Liaoning Ballet.