Hoi Polloi [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Song Xinxin's Hoi Polloi, which means the masses or common people, also aims to make a statement about humanity. But with its opening sequence - where the performers wiggle their behinds in unison as they line up before the wall - Hoi Polloi sets a far more audacious tone.

That's especially true in the moments to follow, when the performers face the audience and cycle through a wild array of gestures and facial expressions - from grimacing and adjusting groins to sneezing, yelling and wagging fingers. It's surprising to see this behavior in the spotlight, and it represents one of many such peculiar sequences sprinkled throughout Hoi Polloi.