VANCOUVER, March 7 -- The 14th Vancouver International Dance Festival opened on Friday with a collaborative performance from Chinese and Canadian dance groups.

In the Vancouver debut of Mustard Seed, the Guangdong Modern Dance Company collaborated with the Vancouver-based Goh Ballet Company to tell the story of a Buddhist metaphor in which a tiny mustard seed can encapsulate all the wonders in the world.

Goh Ballet Academy director Chan Hon Goh said the collaboration had been a fantastic experience and an opportunity for the young academy members to grow as dancers.

"For the Goh Ballet local dancers, they've been infused in the studio with new vocabulary and the capability of breaking ground, trying to show what they know and collaborating, finding one another. It's been tremendous in terms of their development," she said.

The annual Vancouver International Dance Festival started on March 7 and runs through March 29.