Silk road soliloquy

Wang Yabin's latest work brings to life through dance the journey of the Buddhist monk and scholar, Kumarajiva, and his journey across China via the ancient trading network

Chinese dancer-choreographer Wang Yabin's latest work, An Individual Soliloquy, brings to life the journey of the Buddhist monk and scholar, Kumarajiva (344-413), who is famous for translating Buddhist texts into Chinese.

Kumarajiva-the son of a Hindu father from India and a princess of the ancient Kucha, which lies in present day Aksu prefecture in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region-traveled to Liangzhou, Gansu province, and later to Xi'an, Shaanxi province through the trading networks of the ancient Silk Road.

The dance drama, which will premiere at Tianqiao Performing Arts Center in Beijing on Sept 14 to 16, is the latest season of Wang's annual production, Yabin and Her Friends. Since 2009, the project has gathered more than 200 artists from around the world to produce a different dance piece every year.