Two dancers perform in Wang's contemporary dance production, A Leaf in the Storm. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Two dancers perform in Wang's contemporary dance production, A Leaf in the Storm.

There is little doubt that the intensive rehearsals have taken their toll on Wang's health, especially as she is nervous about the new piece because it is the first production in which she has combined dance with dialogue.

"It took us two months to train the dancers," explains Han. "They had to speak onstage like dramatic actors, which is very challenging."

The idea to combine the two disciplines stems from her relationship with the Beijing Repertory Theater, which she co-founded in June 2017 with Han and set designer Tan Shaoyuan.

Last September, Wang made her directorial debut with a production of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's 1888 stage drama, The Lady From The Sea.