A scene from George Balanchine’s Serenade by the New York City Ballet. photo by Paul Kolnik / for China Daily

Presently based in New York, the award-winning choreographer first set up his dance company Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2000. His choreography works are developed based on natural body development, a dance technique he created. His first project in China was Painting Scroll, a dance commissioned for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Another prominent figure who debuted her latest creation at the CSIAF was famous Chinese choreographer Yang Liping. Featuring a combination of Stravinsky's music with oriental colors, Yang's Rite of Spring was a highly anticipated performance that drew a slew of industry insiders from abroad.

For example, Jonathan Holloway, director of the Melbourne Art Festival, made a one-day visit to Shanghai just to watch the show. The production, jointly commissioned by Sadler's Wells Theatre in London and the CSIAF, embarked on an international tour right after its premiere at the CSIAF on Oct 22. Holloway caught his first glimpse of the production at the performing arts fair, an integrated part of the CSIAF last year, when a 15-minute episode was presented for the ongoing production.

This year, the trade fair of CSIAF, which is an integrated part of the festival, hosted 460 institutions and groups from 53 countries and regions. A total of 220 projects from China at the fair made potential deals to perform overseas, while 228 productions from abroad signed intended contracts to tour China.