A Scene from Midnight Rain, performed by Beijing Modern Dance Company.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"Since we started working on this year's festival, we named it From the Mediterranean Basin to the Silk Road, meaning to develop a kind of luminous connection between Italy and China, especially during the year of the celebration of the relations between the two countries," says Rino De Pace, artistic director of MilanOltre Festival. "We are experiencing a new dimension of life. The digital format has for sure helped a lot to avoid losing contact with all forms of art.

"But there is no other way that can replace the emotion and the beauty of watching an artist on stage in a live performance. Sharing such emotion with other human beings gathered in a theater at the same time adds extra meaning to this ancient but still irreplaceable experience," he adds.

According to Zhang Wei, executive managing director of Poly Armstrong, co-organizer of the events between Wuhan Qintai Grand Theater and MilanOltre Festival, forums were held online on Sept 19 and over the weekend. These events underlined and motivated this collaboration between Milan and Wuhan. It also allowed Gao Yanjinzi, director and choreographer of the Beijing Modern Dance Company, to elaborate her three dance pieces staged during the festival, which are connected deeply with traditional Chinese culture.

Gao participated in MilanOltre Festival in 2018, premiering her choreographic work, a duo dance piece, titled Jue, which discusses the relationship between mother and daughter.

"During the coronavirus pandemic, our dancers had to train at home and communicate through the internet. The long process enabled us to think and reflect. We decided to bring those three dance pieces to Wuhan Qintai Grand Theater, which talk about love, life and reincarnation. Those themes are particularly interesting and meaningful after what we all have been through," says Gao.