Dancers from the National Ballet of China present the localized version of  The Nutcracker, which is themed around celebrations of the traditional Chinese New Year. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"We have realized dreams of becoming a world class ballet company and forming a distinctive Chinese style of ballet art," said Feng. "Now we have an even greater ambition — to make Chinese ballet a trend setter in the world and let audiences all over the world experience the unique charm of China's great art."

The National Ballet of China signed a three-year strategic partnership with Shanghai Oriental Art Center in 2018 and has since presented a series of its productions such as The Light of Heart and the Red Detachment of Women.