A pig farmer at a small village in Taiwan has helped rescue one of the most popular productions of leading contemporary dance company Cloud Gate Dance Theatre.

The Taiwan troupe is set to resume performances of "The Legend of the White Snake" two years after a fire destroyed its props and other stage equipment.

The production would be staged at the theatre's annual free outdoor shows on July 17 and 24, in Taipei County and Changhua County, said Lin Hwai-min, the troupe's founder and artistic director, at a press conference Monday.

The dance, adapted from the popular folktale about the forbidden love between a scholar and White Snake taking on a woman's form, debuted in 1975 and has been one of the most popular dances created by the troupe.

However, the production was suspended after a major fire at the troupe's building in 2008 damaged most of the scenery and props, including a rattan sculpture, used to represent the dwelling cave of snakes, and rattan curtain 3 meters wide and 12 meters long.

"They were artworks of sculptor Yuyu Yang. As he has passed away, it was very difficult to recreate them," Lin said.

The skills were no longer common in daily life, but the troupe eventually found an artisan in Taiwan who could make the rattan sculptures.

"After a year of efforts, we found an artisan who raised pigs in a small village in Changhua. Our technicians worked with him for two weeks in an empty pig house to finish the props," he said.

During the show, the troupe would also perform parts of other productions such as Cursive II, Wild Cursive and Moon Water.

Sponsored by Cathay Financial Holdings, the troupe has put on free outdoor shows annually since 1996. To date, they have performed 42 shows in 22 towns in Taiwan with a total audience of about 1.8 million.

"As a local art troupe, I hope our works can be enjoyed by many ordinary Taiwan people, instead of just for audiences at elite theatres," Lin said.