Chinese dance brings to life cultural heritage in NYC

Chinese dance is emerging as both a cultural showcase and a way to connect communities in New York, as teachers and students work to share centuries-old traditions with new audiences.

"I want more and more people to know our culture," Coco Wen Li, director and founder of a dance studio in New York, told China Daily. "We want to let people know our dance."

One way she shares this with Western audiences is through dance fusions. Much of her own choreography is a mix of ballet and classical Chinese dance. Her studio has invited famous Chinese choreographers to teach unique Chinese jazz fusion, which they performed for the diverse crowds of Times Square in New York.

"A lot of people take a video of us, and after our dance, every time they're cheering and saying, 'so amazing'. They never ever saw this kind of dance," Li said.

Traditional Chinese dance is a multifaceted art form that has thousands of years of history behind it. From the dozens of styles of folk dances that are all unique to the region they come from, to the elegant styles of classical dances that were perfected in Chinese courts, Chinese dance is rich in culture and can give viewers a glimpse of specific periods in Chinese history.

Much of modern Chinese culture and trends have been presented to Western audiences and the mainstream media. Dance is no exception. In New York alone, many Chinese dancers strive to share this art form with the world.

For example, Li began ballet dancing at age nine and then went on to explore many forms — modern, salsa, belly dance and Southeast Asian styles — before moving from China to the US in 2019. Now a certified teacher with the American Ballet Theatre, she runs a studio that offers many styles of dance.

Not only does Li want to share Chinese culture with a broader audience, but she also believes in the importance of connecting Chinese Americans to their own identity. Many of her students are young Chinese American children, and she takes pride in educating them.

"Most of my students are Asians, I hope they can know about Chinese culture. Chinese culture has many different styles. All different kinds of dance, I want them to know because we're all Asian," she told China Daily.

Ethnic characteristics

Sun Shuo, a fellow teacher who specializes in Chinese folk dance, told China Daily: "I think every ethnic group has its own characteristics. For example, the Dai people have the Water Splashing Festival and beautiful flared skirts, with elegantly styled hair. The Qiang have their unique hats. Mongolian dance is more masculine. I wanted to experience the customs of every ethnic group, so I studied ethnic dance and learned it well.

"I wanted to promote our cultural heritage. I feel Chinese ethnic culture isn't very well known in the US. Sometimes Americans ask — does China only have the Han ethnicity? And I say no, China is made up of large regions, and each region has its own ethnic group. I want people in the US to be able to experience that and help Chinese kids here to promote these cultures too," Sun said.

Sun said she also cares deeply for her students and strives to help them develop the same love for Chinese dance that she has.

Taylor Jordan, a contemporary and ballet teacher who does not have an extensive background in Chinese dance, offers a different viewpoint about the culture she is surrounded with.

"It was gorgeous," Jordan told China Daily. "It was very different because like I said, I have never seen it before. And I just think it's so beautiful. It reminds me a lot of classical ballet."

Despite being new to the studio, she has quickly come to recognize the meaningful sense of community that dance creates.

"They come here because they want to work," Jordan said about the dancers. "And I love that energy. They're very excited to do what they do. They're very excited to show up for dance."

Harmony Liu is a freelance journalist for China Daily.