In step with our time

Born and raised in Beijing, Wang started learning Chinese dance at age 10, graduating from the Beijing Dance Academy in 1995 before going on to study contemporary dance choreography.

From 2000 to 2002, she trained at the California Institute of the Arts' School of Dance in Los Angeles, the United States. She was named resident choreographer at the National Ballet of China and was invited to serve as guest choreographer at the New York City Ballet in 2003.

She is widely celebrated for choreographing the ballet Raise the Red Lantern, directed by Zhang Yimou, the dance scenes in director Feng Xiaogang's movie The Banquet, and for her part in the production of the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Since founding the Beijing Dance Theater in 2008 with Han and Tan, Wang has choreographed around 15 dance compositions and toured the world.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company has had to cancel its tours-about 50 shows in seven countries across Europe and North America.

"I had lots of time at home, which allowed me to think about my next project and the future of the company. The company is known for its pioneering works and bold ideas. That's why we wanted to challenge ourselves with White Snake-Revelations," says Wang.

"The pandemic changed lots of things, especially the way people interact with one another. With this new production, we want to talk about communication, humanity and relationships."

During the height of the outbreak in China, to avoid the spread of COVID-19, Wang led her dancers in training through online sessions. She also initiated the idea of shooting online videos that gathered dancers from home and abroad to dance on camera.

"They danced in their homes, on the street or in front of iconic buildings of their hometowns. It was like a torch relay. That was the only way for us to keep in touch with our audience during the days without live performances," recalls Wang. "We just wanted to let them know: We are still dancing."