An acrobatic show from Cirque de Soleil inspired by James Cameron's movie Avatar, Toruk - The First Flight will hit stages in Beijing from August 1 to 12, followed by Shanghai from August 16 to 26, the show's Chinese promoters announced on Tuesday.

Narrated by a Na'vi storyteller, the story is set thousands of years before the events that took place in the film Avatar - long before any humans ever set foot on the Na'vi world of Pandora.

When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, Ralu and Entu, two Omatikaya Clan boys on the brink of adulthood, fearlessly decide to take matters into their own hands and set out on a quest to find a Toruk, a giant airborne predator and ride it, to save the Tree of Souls.

According to Michael Veilleux, the touring show's manager, through the fusion of visuals, puppetry and stagecraft buoyed by a soaring cinematic score, the troupe will mix their unique style with James Cameron's imaginary world and "create a bond" between two kindred artistic visions.