The Legend of Mulan, the dance dramaperformed by the Hong Kong Dance Company makes its debut in New York at Lincoln Center on Thursday, March 5. Hong Xiao / China Daily

Yang said that the troupe was excited to perform in New York at such a prestigious venue and that its members made every effort to put on their best show at Lincoln Center.

"In the following days, we hope the audiences who come to watch the show can have a pleasant and peaceful night," he said.

Western audiences can enjoy Mulan because the heart of the story is the idea of self-identification, Yang said.

"The most important message the story conveys is filial piety and the affection between family members," Yang said. "Regardless of differences, Eastern or Western audiences' understandings of filial piety are similar. And more importantly, the story contains the message of self-identification, which I think would be more recognizable to Western values. This theme could let Western values and Eastern values merge here rather than conflict."

Pan Lingjuan is the principal dancer playing the title role of Mulan. Pan graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy and has toured the world. She joined the Hong Kong Dance Company in 2011 and played the lead dancer in several of the company's productions.

The Legend of Mulan is being presented by the China Arts and Entertainment Group, with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of New York.

"As a cultural ambassador of Hong Kong, we bring our city's unique artistic style to the world by visiting different locations with our original products, engaging audiences to encourage cultural exchange," said Wilson Fung, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Dance Company.

The company previously performed at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. It has staged more than 100 productions, including The Butterfly Lovers, Qingming Riverside and Storm Clouds.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com