Wang's work had been welcomed rather than prohibited up to that point. She's celebrated for choreographing the ballet Raise the Red Lantern and part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony.

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The setback prompted Han to work on the drama A Madman's Diary, adapted from Lu Xun's first major short story. Next, the theater started on Wild Grass.

Wild Grass deals with the struggle within oneself and the clash with the outside world. It's comprised of three chapters - Dead Fire, Farewell Shadows and Dance of Extremity.

The poetic first chapter premiered at the Royal Danish Theater this May. The complete 80-minute piece debuted in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in September and will be staged at Peking University Hall on Dec 11.

Wang says choreography's greatest challenge is accurately expressing emotions with every movement.

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But Wild Grass was different.

"It was so smooth," Wang says.

"It was like having a dialogue with Lu. Humans are just like wild grass - they grow everywhere, they die and they're reborn. Wild grass deserves as much respect as people for its dogged vitality."

The stage is covered with white paper leaves that fly as the dancers spin and jump.

The show's music comes courtesy of Oscar-winner Su Cong, who composed the soundtrack of the 1987 film The Last Emperor.

Wang says she didn't know Su until the musician came to her office to propose cooperation.

The show's music is performed live.