Liu Yan anticipates her upcoming performance in The Red Thread as a rebirth of her life onstage. Zou Hong / China Daily

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"I met Liu two years ago in Beijing and she inspired me to make such a dance work," says Cremona, who is a veteran of around 25 internationally renowned works and has danced with choreographers such as Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham.

Sharing a personal tragedy like Liu, the choreographer was disabled by a hearing impairment overnight. She says the dance is dedicated to those who battle their unfortunate destiny and get their lives back in control.

"I feel the same way as Liu did when facing sudden tragedy so I use the title The Red Thread to refer the invisible connection between people like us," she says.

For Liu, her first return to the stage is challenging, both physically and mentally. As a dancer who had been performing classical Chinese dance since she was 9, she says the collaboration has overturned her approach to her art.

"Kilina's idea is abstract and avant-garde, which broke my dancing habit and mindset about dancing," Liu says. "It's my first dance since the accident. I am very excited. Though hours of rehearsal makes me exhausted, I think it's my new start."