Dancers from the Shanghai Dance Theatre perform The Eternal Wave, a successful show staged recently in the city. [Photo provided to China Daily]

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and many new productions have been created to commemorate the event.

"The revolutionary and patriotic theme is the greatest highlight of the festival this year," Wang says, explaining the choice of Dawn of Shanghai as the opening show.

"Over the past few years, modern circus as a performing genre has attracted wide interest on the global stage. Several new circus companies and productions have been gaining in popularity across the world. This has become an international trend," she adds.

She cites Cirque du Soleil, one of the most acclaimed circus companies in the world, which has made several tours to China, as an example. Last year, the company launched X, a resident show in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.