'Breaking' new ground

The story is set against the backdrop of Guangdong province, so related cultural aspects pertaining to the region will be featured, including representations of the local food, the techniques of Wing Chun (a style of kung fu) and lion dancing.

And next year, a new street dance piece will be made by Xia in cooperation with Chongqing Song and Dance Troupe, featuring cultural elements synonymous with Chongqing.

The rising popularity of street dance has also caught the attention of TV show producers. Street Dance of China, a popular reality show produced by Youku, an online streaming media platform, premiered in 2018 and has enjoyed huge national popularity.

The latest season — the fifth — is now being broadcast, which has attracted widespread attention with the appearance of singer-actors Wang Yibo and Han Geng, singer Liu Yuxin and Korean American actor Nathan Lee.

"All those factors, such as wide internet exposure, high-profile celebrity collaborators and televised competitions, have contributed to the rising recognition of street dance, and has attracted plenty of enthusiasts," says Xia.

He also notes that when the International Olympic Committee added breaking, a genre of street dance, to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, since 2019, the art form's popularity and exposure has been elevated to even greater heights.