As the spirit moves her

"Dance as an art has to be about more than the technique. It has to deliver messages, which make you think," Wang says. "I am glad that some of my earlier works are still touring worldwide. The issues we talk about through the works are still relevant today."

Wang's latest choreographic work is A Leaf in the Storm, which premiered this June in Beijing and is based on a war novel by Lin Yutang (1895-1976). Dealing with subjects such as romance, hope, belief, madness and death, Wang asked her dancers to perform with both physical movement and dialogue, which is her attempt to blur the line between different art forms.

In June 2017, along with her longtime partners and friends, Tan and Han, Wang launched Beijing Repertory Theater, which enables her to explore a different way of self-expression.

Last September, Wang made her directorial debut with a production of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's 1888 stage drama, The Lady From The Sea.

"As a choreographer, she has a different vision for drama, one that's unique," notes Han, who is a renowned lighting and stage set designer.

"I am not intimidated by stepping into another field, like drama and opera, because I have no experiences with those arts form and I feel free," Wang says. "Ten years ago, we introduced something new to the audience. Now we still want to do something different."