Weaving magic through dance

The drama also attracted many young people who love ballet. Among them, 17-year-old Sarintip Thipjumnun, from Dance Plus Academy in Bangkok, said she was excited about seeing this high-level ballet performance during the festival.

One day before the show, she was among dozens of young ballet students who joined a ballet class with Li Wentao, the dancer who plays the leading role of Jia Baoyu in the drama. The free one-hour master class is a regular feature of the National Ballet of China's overseas performances.

"It was a very precious chance to learn with such top-level dancers. During the class, we had face-to-face communication and received (Li's) professional guidance. His expertise, patience and kindness are so impressive. The impression was even stronger after I saw his performance onstage," Sarintip said.

Having studied ballet since the age of 4, Sarintip said the fantastic performance by Chinese dancers and the master class encouraged her to continue learning. "Art brings us delicate and wonderful experiences in life. I hope more such events with top artists from overseas can be organized in the future," she added.