Q+A

Your favorite virtue?

Modesty.

Your favorite qualities in a man?

Undertaking responsibility.

If you could talk to a late master of your field, who would that be?

Pina Bausch. The German choreographer became a leading influence in the world of modern dance from the 1970s and she passed away at the age of 68, five days after diagnosis of cancer. Her whole life was very free and unconventional.

How do you wish to die?

I want to die without too much pain. My uncle passed away at 70. He died in his sleep in a taxi and his wife and daughter were with him.

If not yourself, who would you be?

Wang Yangming, one of the most influential philosophers in the Confucian tradition. His philosophy is not big and focuses on details of life.

Your heroes in real life?

I love reading wu xia novels, from classical ones to new works. I often picture myself as one of the martial arts masters in the novels. It also inspires my choreography.

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What they say

It's not an exaggeration to say that there would be no modern dance in China without Willy Tsao. More...

Free on his feet