Dancers from National Ballet of China

Lu Di, a 25-year-old ballerina of the National Ballet of China, stretches before performance on a makeshift stage in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 10, 2014. Before being able to present perfect performance in the spotlight, every member of the National Ballet of China has undergone severe arduous training for years. Yet they chose to persevere in what they truely love. Years of toiling not only allows them good body shape, expertise and disposition, but also offers them a life-long goal that deserves pursuing. The glory on stage is only a small fraction of all the time they devoted to the art. What is hidden to the audience is the integration of ballet with their lives, which could be felt every minute in their practice, during the breaks and on their journeys.