However, doing things the Aquarian way may prove to be a little confusing for others. Mui says fellow dancer Xing Liang had a tough time keeping up with her when they worked together several years ago. 'He's a Taurean and more solid and grounded than I am,' she says. 'I was up there somewhere. Luckily, we complemented each other.'

There's no danger of Lee not being able to follow her train of thought in their first collaboration, Dancing Blue, part of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Modern Dance Series to be staged at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre from August 24 to 26.

The 49-year-old freelance actor - whose last major performances were City Contemporary Dance Company's Testimony last December and Theatre du Pif's Overcoat in January - is just as unrestrained with his ideas.

Describing their piece as 'dance theatre', the duo have given the show a vague title to make it less restrictive for them. 'Blue' is an indirect reference to water and, therefore, their astrological sign.

But Mui, 48, insists that they've been around long enough (for at least two decades) to avoid self-indulgence.

Although it may appear to have no structure, Lee says the piece is anchored by Winterreise, or Winter Journey, a song cycle based on the poetry of German lyricist Wilhelm Muller and set to music by his contemporary Franz Schubert. The poems concern a young man, disappointed in love, wandering through a bleak winter landscape.

'We had this work in mind at the beginning of our brainstorming session,' says Lee. 'Part of our piece is about a journey - life's journey - something we can all relate to, as it encompasses birth, ageing, sickness and death.'

Using this piece, including the song Gute Nacht (Good Night), as a springboard, both artists then suggested ideas on how to express their emotions and interpretations of its themes through movement, text and spoken words. 'The performance is surprisingly physical, but at the same time very poetic,' says Mui. 'In one of the 12 scenes we're in our twilight years, so we'll be donning masks made by [artist] Hoi Chiu.'

Lee says the work is also about connections and relationships - between youth and old age, dream and reality, consciousness and subconsciousness. The biggest challenge is to convey these ideas relying mainly their bodies.

'I didn't realise this piece was so physically demanding,' he says. 'At the beginning, I thought I didn't have to move that much, but as we progressed, I thought, 'How come she's moving so much? I want to do that too!''

Mui says Lee is a physical actor and - astrological likeness aside - that she has always been fascinated by his work.

'We've talked about working together for years,' says Mui, a principal dancer with the Hong Kong Dance Company in the 1980s before becoming an independent choreographer. 'He has this unique way of moving around on stage. So I've always thought of him as a dancer more than an actor.'

'I've always been labelled as a choreographer whose work is feminine, elegant and poetic. So I wanted to try something different and I know working with Lee will create a different chemistry. We're both very experienced in our own field. So, despite our crazy ideas, we're artistically mature enough to produce something solid.'

Like Mui, Lee also worked with a professional group - acting with Chung Ying Theatre Company - in the 1980s and became its assistant artistic director. He appeared in drama and dance productions such as the critically acclaimed French Kiss, a 2005 Hong Kong Arts Festival programme, and Prospect Theatre's Night and Dream in the South last year.

Lee (twice best director and three times best actor at the Hong Kong Drama Awards, for Chung Ying productions) says he enjoys working with different artists, although he feels the pressure of not letting others down. With Dancing Blue, that pressure is back.

In Testimony, he had a 'minor role', he says, and choreographer Helen Lai Hoi-ling was on hand to give direction and guidance, so he felt more relaxed. 'But with this work, I'm 50 per cent of the show and we really started from scratch. I have this weakness of having doubts - but so far, so good,' he says.

Mui is comfortable with the progress they've made. 'I used to work myself up and get very nervous. But that's changed in recent years because I've come to realise that if the idea or creativity isn't there, then it's not there. There's no use getting stressed over nothing. But when you're relaxed, you become more sensitive towards new ideas and you're less likely to miss.'

As true Aquarians, they're supporting each other: while Mui has been giving Lee pointers on how to move (although the piece isn't choreography-based), Lee is taking care of the textual and verbal aspects of the show.

'Oh no, I don't think I want to have to deal with a big chunk of text on stage,' says Mui with a laugh.

Dancing Blue - A Dance Theatre, Fri-Sat, 8pm; Aug 26, 3pm, Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, TST, HK$120-HK$200. Inquiries: 2268 7323