The 10th Lotus Awards hands out the highest honors for dance productions in China. The latest national dance competition has been held in Shanghai, with awards going to five dramatic works of different themes. 

Seven productions competed in the finale at the Shanghai International Dance Center. 

The stories they tell vary, from protecting birds on the brink of extinction, to the life of a famous ancient poet, to Shakespeare's tragic story of Hamlet but in the form of a ballet.

The stories they tell vary, from protecting birds on the brink of extinction, to the life of a famous ancient poet, to Shakespeare's tragic story of Hamlet but in the form of a ballet.

Five of them won awards in the end. 

"Many young choreographers, such as those who performed the dance drama 'Du Fu', are very impressive. They're in their 30s, and chose to dig into traditional culture and a typical historical character. It's not only about courage, but also their fresh understanding of traditional things, that is quite needed in today's dance drama creations," said Luo Bin, jury director of 10th Lotus Awards.

Since its establishment in 1997, the Lotus Awards program has been seen as one of the highest for Chinese dance.

This year, 36 performances are fresh new ones, while another 27 are based on old dances.

Insiders say the industry is prospering, though the number of high-standard dance works could be higher.