Keepers of time

The dance show The Twelve Souls of Time is inspired by the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. [Photo provided to China Daily]

While the troupe, which was founded in 1995, has earned respect abroad, it still struggles to promote the art form at home.

Gao, a founding member who graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy with a major in modern dance choreography, has been trying to promote modern dance in China for long.

In The Twelve Souls of Time, which Gao has choreographed, she tells a story of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, inspired by Shan Hai Jing, or Classics of Mountains and Seas, a collection of Chinese legends written more than 4,000 years ago.

Gao created this sleeping "mountain god" that the 12 animals try to awaken. Through six challenges, the animals conquer their fears during a long journey and finally meet the god.

In the process, the animals also become gods themselves and safeguard the wheel of time.