Described by the Anchorage Daily News as "...a meld that could only happen in America" the company bridges the continuum from past to contemporary - from spectacular court dances of Chinese dynasties to contemporary works fusing classical Chinese and ballet, complemented by dazzling costumes, original music, and multi-media designs.
Established in 1988 by Lily Cai, the company performs and tours extensively and has performed at such special events as the Grateful Dead's concert celebrating the Year of the Dog at the Oakland Coliseum in 1994, and the 1995 United Nations' 50th Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco. In 1996, the company received two coveted awards from the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards Committee for their collaborative performance with Oakland's Dimensions Dance Theater entitled Common Ground. That same year, the Company also premiered Chinese Myths Cantata, a successful collaboration with The Women's Philharmonic and Chanticleer.
A native of Shanghai and former principal dancer with the Shanghai Opera House, Lily Cai has choreographed dozens of new works and expanded traditional Chinese dance forms into contemporary choreographic and theatrical settings since her arrival in California in 1983. Founder and Artistic Director of the Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company and co-founder of Chinese Cultural Productions, Lily's strengths as a choreographer derive mainly from her ability to combine and integrate Chinese traditional, folk and classical dance with Western ballet aesthetics and American modern dance.
This tour of Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company is made possible by a grant from Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program.
Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company will perform on the stage of the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on Tuesday, March 16 at 7:30PM. There will be a pre-event lecture on Chinese traditional dance at 6:15 featuring Chen-Yu Tsuei, Director of the Harrisburg Chinese Cultural and Art Institute.
Members of the Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company will perform a private school show for students from Nye Elementary School on Wednesday, March 17 at 10AM in the Rose Lehrman Arts Center theatre. Company leader Lily Cai will lead the school show which brings Chinese movement alive with the traditional costumes of the Tang and Qing Dynasties, colorful folk dance ribbons, fans of red, green and gold, big head masks, plus dangerous sword dances.
Tickets for the performance are $27 adults and $21 senior citizens and students. RLAC Box Office phone is (717) 231-ROSE (7673). Visit the RLAC Website below for more information.