Uniting stories of Silk Road through dance

Wang Xuerou, lead dancer of the flying apsaras, says the field trips were indispensable in helping them get in touch with history and their characters.

"Though the Buddhist sculptures are stationary, their aura and sense of divinity brought by the entire space immediately filled me with awe. Looking up from any angle, it seemed as if their eyes were gazing at me," Wang says.

"Dancers must go to the place to know what sort of expression to put on during the performance."