Steps in many directions

The third piece is the Dutch choreographer Arthur Kuggeleyn's work, Cage Birds.

In 2006, Jin took her dance company to tour Switzerland where she met Kuggeleyn and watched his works. Later Jin invited Kuggeleyn to train her dancers in Shanghai.

Five years ago, Kuggeleyn choreographed Cage Birds for Jin's dance company and the 30-minute work has been touring in China since then.

Kuggeleyn's new work, entitled Wild Flowers, will also be staged at NCPA by Jin's dance company. The 70-minute piece, like Cage Birds, explores the struggles of those who live in the urban areas.

In March, Wild Flowers premiered in Wuxi, Jiangsu province.

Speaking about the show, Kuggeleyn says: "I travel a lot and have seen cities make fast changes. There are buildings everywhere. So, It's always exciting to see wild flowers growing through concrete, because they are so vital and powerful.

"Human beings live in invisible cages. But we still try to find a place to dream, to breathe, and to find a way out, despite of all kinds of restrictions and limits."

He says that his choreography requires intense moves, which are physically challenging for the dancers. He also says that unlike dancers in Europe, Chinese dancers tend to hold their emotions back and one of his aims during rehearsals is to encourage them to speak out with their moves.

"For theater actors, it's easy to say I love you onstage. But for a dancer, it's very hard to deliver the same message with their bodies," says Kuggeleyn, who used to be a theater actor and director.

Commenting on the work, Jin says: "I am touched by his idea and his observation on people, in their daily lives.

"He started choreographing for contemporary dance about three decades ago. And his experience with theater makes his choreography unique."