Turning point

It was a pity in his eyes if people have never been exposed to the masterpieces of Tchaikovsky. But the reality as the parents of Duancun see it is that further education is the most practical way to help their children escape the countryside and change their destiny - and Guan's high ideals were hardly recognized by parents there.

Forced to face this reality and turn his ideals into tangible benefits, he began of involving his students in a range of live ballet performances, from Peking University campus to the National Centre for the Performing Arts, encouraging his young protegees to climb onto one after another seemingly impossible stage.

The feeling of pride brought about by their performances gradually began to make the parents feel more positive about the ballet course. And asked when things really started to change, most parents agreed it was in 2016, when young local Ma Yue received her admission notice to the Liaoning Ballet - making her the first in the group of girls to "go out" of the countryside.

Ma Yue's dance costumes are still on display in glass cabinets in the lobby of the science and technology building at the school. Her father recalled that the whole family went crazy at that time. Many parents considered enrolling their children on arts courses as a career move, rather than regard it just as a hobby.