For Omar, mastering the form has been a process of continuous learning.

He first encountered yingge in 2024, when the folk dance was gaining widespread attention through short videos and television programs. Its forceful rhythms and explosive energy immediately attracted him.

"I was struck by the energy and excitement of this dance form and its vibrant street culture," he says.

Scenes from the production, which captivates audiences with its moving storyline and dynamic choreography inspired by yingge dance, a traditional folk dance that originated during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The theater subsequently invited practitioners of intangible cultural heritage to train the dancers. They first learned the traditional movements and techniques, and then worked with the creative team to integrate them into contemporary stage choreography.

The yingge mallets have proved particularly demanding. Omar's character carries a special pair throughout the drama, turning them into a recurring link between different times and stories.

"It took a long time to go from not knowing how to spin the mallets to being able to spin them well," he says. "And on every tour, in every performance, we are still constantly refining and thinking about it."

That process reflects one of the production's central challenges: how to preserve the character of a traditional folk art while giving it new theatrical possibilities.

"You can't simply move a street performance onto the stage," Omar says. "Two hours of pure yingge would be too much for the audience. We have to develop it creatively — give it a story, give the characters a journey, and bring in real historical stories and stories of unsung heroes."

For Omar, that task carries particular significance. Born and raised in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, he came to Beijing to study at age 10 and has lived in Guangdong for nine years. Although yingge comes from a cultural tradition different from his own, he sees a connection in its exuberant energy and collective spirit. The experience has also made him more conscious of the responsibility involved in interpreting a traditional culture from a different region.

"There are certainly regional cultural differences," he says. "When we encounter this outstanding traditional Chinese culture, I feel a great sense of responsibility. We can't casually change it. We need to be cautious, but at the same time, we need to be bold enough to innovate."

That balance between preservation and reinvention runs through Odes to Heroes. Its yingge dancers carry movements passed down through generations, while qiaopi carries the words of those who left home. Together, they create a bridge between generations and across the sea, Qian says.

The Southeast Asian tour will extend that bridge further, bringing a story about migration and homesickness back to the region where generations of Chinese migrants once began new lives, the director notes.