Tao Ye, founder and choreographer, TAO Dance Theater. [Photo provided to China Daily]

He spent most of his childhood with his grandmother as his parents were not in a happy marriage.

Then, one day, when he was 12 he saw a dance program on TV and imitated the dancer to do a split.

His grandmother was impressed as she had never seen a boy his age do this.

So she sent him to the local dance school in Chongqing in Southwest China.

There, he received training in Chinese dance and a bit of ballet.

Later, he joined the performance ensemble of Shanghai police.

But after the excitement of the first few months, Tao soon found that he was not very happy there.

This was until he visited the Jin Xing Dance Company in Shanghai.