White Lotus－Black Sand is a collaborative production by the Rhythmosaic-Sengupta Dance Company and Beijing Dance/LDTX. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In 2012, the couple worked with French dancer-choreographer Gianin Loringett, giving a modern twist to Tchaikovsky's classic ballet, Swan Lake. Titled Swan Lake Revisited, the work was a fusion of classical ballet and kathak.

"Like technology keeps progressing, modern dance also develops fast, and one of the most important factors is to learn and be inspired from a different culture," says Tsao who runs three major modern dance companies in China.

"This collaboration opens our vision for modern dance. These artists showed us that Indian dance can be both very traditional and very modern."

Calling the experience both challenging and rewarding, Dutt says dance is universal, which is all about breaking down barriers.

"This is an exciting time to be an artist. In the past, there was a strong division of different forms of arts, but now artists can combine the arts together for independent expression," says Dutt.

If you go：

8 pm, Friday. Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, 9 Tianqiao South Street, Xicheng district, Beijing. 400-635-3355.

7:30 pm, Sunday. Theater of Shanxi Vocational College of Art, 195 Bingzhou East Street, Taiyuan, Shanxi province. 0351-2246-059.