Happy belated Valentine's Day! It's been quite busy with Lunar New Year celebrations and other events. This time I got to dance in everything from a 50 year anniversary party of the city of Union City to the first joint production that CCTV (the main television station in China) has done with an organization outside the country. It might have aired in China and in the San Francisco Bay Area already; I've honestly been too busy to check ...
This photo depicts a piece from the northwestern part of China (Xinjiang). It is a charming tableau of a young man in love, and he is exuberant after having received a rose from his sweetheart. Because this is a dance meant to be performed by a man, I've had to work very hard not only to keep up with the energy and technical ability required, but it's also been a challenge to learn how to move like a brash youth. The Uighur are very different from the Han in the east, and there is definite Kazakh influence from the costuming, the music, to the instrument the youth holds to serenade his love. This is one of the best pieces I've ever performed and I hope I have opportunities to repeat it so that I may become more skilled in speaking to the audience with every movement. One small thing: I hope to have a photograph in which I'm not wearing the same makeup meant for another (female) dance - it looks awful in this getup!
