BALLET. Is it just about men prancing¹（以后脚腾跃） around in tights while women follow along in tutus（芭蕾舞短裙） ? Or does the high class art form offer us something more to think about? 

Last weekend, the New York City Ballet (NYCB), one of the leading ballet companies in the US, arrived in China. It hoped to appeal to a Chinese audience with a contemporary American style.

"Our performance is based on classical ballet but it's still very accessible," says Nilas Martins, the ballet company's lead dancer. "It's a fun performance. It's like watching fireworks," he continues.

The NYCB performed at Beijing's Exhibition Theatre last Saturday before going on to Shanghai for the 7th International Dance Festival.

But Martins is a little confused by the Chinese response to his performances. "Their faces are blank. I can't tell if they enjoy it or not. Perhaps they think it's respectful not to disturb the dance."

This is Martins' fifth visit to China. In 2004 he performed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

He laughs when he describes the atmosphere: "I couldn't believe it. People were getting up from their seats and moving to sit by their friends. They were chattering² and enjoying themselves. They didn't take out food or anything, but the atmosphere was nothing like（一点也不象） the formal ballet in the US."

So how are you meant to behave? Western audiences sit quietly, listening intently³ to the music and immersing⁴ themselves in the dance, then everyone claps loudly at the end. But Martins is convinced you should enjoy ballet in your own way. It's not necessary to follow convention⁵（惯例） .

"My advice to a young person seeing ballet for the first time is not to be judgmental. If you have an open mind you will capture the beauty," he says.