Liu Yan was set to dazzle the world at the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics, but a fall during rehearsal left her paralyzed from the waist down. But she never stopped dancing, and Thursday (May 15) she returns to the stage for the first time since her accident in the world premiere of The Red Thread, at Poly Theatre.

Billed as “a French-Chinese musical and choreographic creation featuring both able-bodied and disabled artists,” the performance was choreographed by Kilina Crémona, who is also disabled – she lost her hearing overnight. The music is interpreted by the Shanghai and Treffort Percussion Ensembles, percussionist Thierry Moriglio, and directed by musician and composer Alain Goudard.

The performance is part of the Croisements Festival, which runs through July 10, featuring 100 events in more than 40 Chinese cities, with close to 1,000 artists engaging in encounters with over a million people. The festival is particularly special this year as France and China celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations.

Tickets are available online, from the highly reasonable price of RMB 50 each, all the way up to RMB 1,000. All categories are still available at the time of writing, but won’t be for long.

Note: although the National Centre for the Performing Arts is depicted above, the performance will be staged at Poly Theatre in Dongzhimen.

Photos: Croisements Festival, China Daily