This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Beijing Dance Theater. As one of the leading contemporary ballet companies in China, the troupe is known for pushing forward the boundaries of dance. Choreographer Wang Yuanyuan – the Beijing Dance Theater's founder and director – shares with us her reflections on the company's past, and her plans for its future.

Inside a two-story compound located near Beijing's North 5th Ring Road, the Beijing Dance Theater are rehearsing a programme called "Poison" – an original piece of choreography by Wang Yuanyuan.

Wang launched the company in 2008, along with two friends. She says it's every choreographer's dream to have their own art space.

WANG YUANYUAN, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR BEIJING DANCE THEATER "I think every choreographer has a dream to build their own dance company, because we can present our own idea. So that is the first thought for me."

But it hasn't been easy for a new company to come so far, the director explains, since most of the time they have to rely on themselves.

WANG YUANYUAN, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR BEIJING DANCE THEATER "I think all the contemporary dance companies are without any support from government, so everything we have to think about ourselves, so we have to find the support, sponsors or anything we have to learn. How to help this contemporary company to develop in this market is the most difficulty thing. But I think it is a kind of freedom to build your own idea that is good for us."

However, Wang's efforts have clearly paid off. The company has not only survived; it's really thrived – staging 17 full-length original choreographic works and touring more than 30 countries across the globe over the years.

These original dance pieces include "Haze", which was instrumental in gaining the troupe international attention, as well as a stage adaptation of Hamlet, inspired by Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's 2006 film "The Banquet".

WANG YUANYUAN, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR BEIJING DANCE THEATER "Actually we just finished a tour from the US and we received a lot of good review. We performed Hamlet, but at the beginning I thought maybe it is a different kind of Hamlet, which is a Chinese version. That is maybe different with the one they usually know, but we really received a lot of good review from the US."

For most of her creations, Wang says her inspiration comes from everyday life.

WANG YUANYUAN, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR BEIJING DANCE THEATER "The ideas come from life. Sometimes from music, novel or literature. As a good choreographer, you have to find something really touch your heart, something that can be confront your inner heart, something can be true, so I think you have to be sensitive to your life, to feeling everything around you in your life. That's my idea."

As for the future, Wang says the troupe will keep on doing what they're doing.

WANG YUANYUAN, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR BEIJING DANCE THEATER "We already finished last 10 years, but we have received invitations for next 2 years, and I think that is the steps we are keep going on. For myself, just do it and just keep what you do right now then maybe we will have a good next 10 years."

LI QIONG, CGTN.