Yo-Yo Ma is famously cited for elevating the idea of The Edge Effect, a scientific term for when two ecosystems combine and, as a result, create an area of increased biodiversity. An example of this would be a coral reef, where land and sea come together as a unique, biodiverse habitat. Yo-Yo Ma posed the idea that The Edge Effect could pertain to the Arts as well, and that if you took two very different artforms and performed them side –by side, something new and more powerful than both would be born.

To illustrate this point, Yo-Yo Ma performed Camille Saint-Saens' The Swan with street dancer Charles Riley, aka Lil' Buck, at China's National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.