Zhang Aimadi (front) and Jia Haoyue, both 22, winners of the Under 21 Latin championships in the UK in 2018, dance in the show.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Li beams a smile and the relief is evident. His aim has been met-to charm and win over more people with the power of the art form.

"My initial purpose in joining the show was to display my dancing and share my love for the art to a much wider audience than attend the theater. The TV show is a short cut for me to learn how the viewers would react to my choreography and performance," says Li, who graduated with a major in traditional Chinese dance from the College of Military Culture of the PLA's National Defense University (formerly the People's Liberation Army Academy of Art) in 2012.

He initially rejected the offer of an appearance on the show, thinking that it was simply a talent show for young people. Li was already established and had won a slew of top awards in national dance competitions. He actually had a fan base after performing solo in a dance piece on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, the country's most watched TV show, earlier this year.

But the invitations continued for months before he relented and agreed to accept the opportunity. He realized that Chinese audiences prefer watching TV or online coverage instead of going out to theaters to appreciate dance. He knew a wider audience awaited.