Scenes of dancer-choreographer Wang Yabin's new work An Individual Soliloquy. The dance drama will premiere at Tianqiao Performing Arts Center in Beijing on Sept 14 to 16. [Photo/China Daily]

"Among the wide range of goods, pilgrims and knowledge exchanged among each culture along the Silk Road is Buddhism," says Wang in Beijing. "When I prepared for the latest edition of Yabin and Her Friends, I wanted to tell Kumarajiva's story, which is not so well known among Chinese audiences."

International collaborations have been a driving force behind Yabin and Her Friends. In An Individual Soliloquy, Wang choreographed the first half, which takes audiences back to life in the 5th century and introduces them to Kumarajiva, and she invited Japanese dancer-choreographer Shintaro Hirahara to work on the second half, which shows the links between Kumarajiva and the modern world.