As many Chinese folk performances, Snow-white Doves tells a sappy love story of two characters who develop a special bond between them, but are then separated by stronger forces. In this case, the goddess of the lake understandably falls in love with Zhao Haiping for his singing, therefore dragging him into the lake on his wedding day. The bride, unable to cope without her groom by her side, then drowns herself in the lake to take her pain away. Upon seeing the couple's passionate love and strong desire to be with each other, the goddess has a change of heart and decides to restore the couple to life as a pair of doves ...

Yes, the basic storyline is classic, foretelling and quite sappy ... but if you're not one for love stories, have no fear. The plot takes a back seat to the singing, which the creators wanted to showcase in a modern light.

The fact that I was unable to understand neither the Northwestern dialect nor the subtitles that were written in traditional Chinese characters didn't seem to matter. The singing was adapted to have a modern twist, so instead of falling asleep in my chair and feeling centuries apart from the traditional genre being presented on stage, I found myself actually engaged in the music and the range of notes left me in total awe.

Tastefully done, the blend of traditional and modern aspects was evident in more than just the singing. The dancers performed in bright, traditional clothing and the set incorporated a wall of nearly 800 intricate Chinese paper-cuts, giving an ancient vibe to the scene. Yet there were times in which I felt as if I were attending a stomp performance more than an opera. Performers took the ethnic folk culture and touched it up with current styles, such as working in the field with sticks to create a stomp dance or using the below-the-waist long hair of women by to twirl each other around on stage.

If the love story presented in Snow-white Doves doesn't move you, the singing and cultural display via dance no doubt will.