The production portrays the relationship between a mother with Alzheimer's disease and her son, and is set in a flower shop in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to China Daily]

To represent the symptom of the loss of color perception in the dance, the mother dreams of a fictional country in Chinese mythology, where everyone has pure white skin and hair.

Difficulty in interpersonal relationships is another symptom highlighted in the production, as the mother gradually becomes estranged from, and even hostile toward, neighbors and her son.

Despite the afflictions faced by the patients and their families, Fei aims to convey a sense of hope and positivity. The dance revisits the earlier days of the mother's life, when she experiences the feelings of being a young woman hopeful about the future, which allows the son to see her in a different light.

"When doing the promotional photo shoot, I told the performers to smile as they held back tears, which I believe encapsulates the emotional state of the characters. They are undoubtedly living difficult lives, but they accept reality and bravely confront suffering," he says.

"For me, this resembles the moment of flowers coming into bloom. Such moments are full of vitality. You can feel their warmth. I want to portray these crucial moments of nature onstage, so that a flower will bloom in everybody's heart."

Guangdong's cultural elements are merged into the production, including stage design that adopts local architectural styles, such as qilou, a type of building with overhangs that allow pedestrians to walk underneath to shelter them from sun and rain.