Chinese take on Romeo and Juliet

Suzhou Ballet Theater offered its latest take on the fateful love story of Romeo and Juliet with a new production staged at the National Center for the Performing Arts in early June.

Shakespeare's classic play was given a stylish, modern and, above all, Chinese look. Most of the innovation, the troupe's director Li Ying says, was inspired by traditional Chinese culture. Props include paper fans, silk umbrellas and Peking Opera masks.

As one of the country's youngest ballet troupes, Suzhou Ballet Theater, which was founded in 2007, has remained devoted to cross-cultural conceptions and cross-boundary exploration. Romeo and Juliet is one of the troupe's finest examples of where East meets West. Following its Beijing run, the ballet will continue its national tour in the coming months.