Bach and the ballet at pianist Xue Yingjia's recital

Pianist Xue Yingjia will play music that will be physically interpreted by dancer and choreographer Wu Husheng. Photo provided to Shanghai Star

Award-winning pianist Xue Yingjia's recital at the Shanghai Concert Hall will be a treat for the eyes as well as the ears, with some of the city's top dancers performing alongside the musician.

Dancers from the Shanghai Ballet will bring something different to pianist Xue Yingjia's recital at Shanghai Concert Hall on Jan 16.

But just how intimate will Xue get with the dancers?

"As long as the dancer doesn't crawl underneath my piano and get in the way between my feet and the pedals, I will be playing just fine," says Xue, 36, an international award-winning pianist from Shanghai.

"It is like a dialogue between the dancers and the musician. Dancers will make the music visible to the eyes," says Xin Lili, director of Shanghai Ballet. "The collision of artists' souls will sparkle colorful flames."

Xue will play three pieces by Bach for the first half of the concert and then move on to music of the Romantic and Impressionistic period, playing works of Debussy and Scriabin.

"I used to search for dance videos on Youtube with Bach's music, in order to help me understand the pieces," Xue says. He found that in different cultures, Bach's music was danced to, and not just in royal courts and ballrooms. "His music provides lots of creative space for choreography."