"Guangzhou at that time was considered the most modern city in China," says Tsao, who after spending his first sleepless night in a non-air-conditioned room, decided to volunteer his own salary to upgrade the living conditions of the dancers (Present salaries range from 1-3,000 yuan per month for a full time dancer). Tsao later spent 1 million yuan of his own money to purchase a small theater space for the company. Asked for a total estimate of the money he has sunk into the Guangdong Modern Dance Company thus far, Tsao sighs, "I've lost count." With a smile, he adds that he'll likely never see a penny returned. "But if you buy a Rolls-Royce, you don't say how much money you lost, you say how much it costs. It's the satisfaction that counts."

　　Initially, however, not everyone shared in Tsao's satisfaction. In the early days, Tsao spent much of his time writing editorials and responding to letters to the editors of Guangzhou newspapers from readers who condemned Modern Dance as "western imperialism."

　　"Everyone kept saying, 'What is this? Why can't you do something Chinese?' And I would answer back 'This is Chinese. Does Chinese mean you have to put on old costumes and be traditional?' This is what we are now, in the present day. Our worlds are getting closer. But even in the United States, people would say 'You should do something Chinese!' And I would say, 'Why do you sound so much like our government officials?'"

　　Once the rave reviews started pouring in, however, the government quickly learned to appreciate - or at least tolerate - Modern Dance. Tsao says his final vindication came while taking the group on tour in Europe, which the government had been reluctant to allow, fearing the members would all flee at the first chance. To their surprise, everyone happily returned home to China. Meanwhile, the entire Chinese traditional dance troupe defected en masse during a trip to America.

　　"The government actually asked me to write a report explaining why it was that they all came home," Tsao laughs. "I said that they had seen the outside world and realized that they are free. For them, freedom is in dance. In fact, their lives in China are often far less worrisome than dancers in Europe or America, who have to work outside jobs just to survive."