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Elegant, sensual, and captivating, the
Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company melds ancient Chinese forms
with modern dance in an artistic and inventive marriage
of styles. The Company bridges the continuum from past to
contemporary - from spectacular court dances of Chinese
dynasties to contemporary works fusing classical Chinese
movement and ballet, complemented by dazzling costumes,
original music, and multi-media designs. Established in
1988 by Lily Cai, the Company performs and tours extensively
throughout California and the United States, appearing at
performing arts venues, festivals, university theaters,
schools, community centers and special events.
In 1994, the Company opened the Grateful
Dead's concert celebrating the year of the Dog at the Oakland
Coliseum, and in 1995, performed for United Nations' 50th
Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco. In 1996, the Company
received two coveted awards for Outstanding Achievement
in Choreography and Company Performance Awards from Isadora
Duncan Dance Awards Committee for the 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.
Through increasingly contemporary and artistically
intimate works such as “Candelas”(1997) with
lit candles, “Southern Girl” (1998) with the
Alexander String Quartet, “Detours: Common Ground
II” (1999) with Dimensions Dance Theater, and “Strings
Calligraphy”(2000) with the New Century Chamber Orchestra,
the Company performs concerts that highlight Cai's signature
technique and the professional artistry of each dancer.
Throughout the 2001- 2004 seasons, the Company introduced
a variety of new pieces including “Bamboo Girls,”
“Silk Cascade,” “SHE: Portraits of the
Chinese Woman,” and “Beyond.” In Spring
2003, the company performed a new work, “Si Ji”
(the Seasons) commissioned by World Arts West, for the 25th
anniversary celebration of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance
Festival. November 2003 marked the 15th anniversary celebration
for the Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company itself. In Spring
2007, the Company performed the premiere of “Red Typhoon,”
a powerful and stunning dance exploration of the impact
of the Cultural Revolution on the women of China; in June
2007 the Company performed Sun Yun, a playful and contemplative
dance with parasols, commissioned by World Arts West with
the San Francisco Arts Commission. Northern California Public
Broadcasting station KQED selected Lily Cai as an outstanding
artist to profile in their summer 2007 “Spark”
program.
Touring nationally, the Lily Cai Chinese Dance
Company performs several distinctive concert programs,
Dynasties and Beyond, Silk Cascade, Dance Calligraphy, and
the new Red Typhoon program scheduled to tour in 2008-9.
The Company has received accolades from theater and festival
audiences throughout the country, from Hawaii and the West
Coast to New York, the Virgin Islands, and the Kennedy Center
in Washington D.C. Along with the concert programs, the
Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company offers extensive residency
programs, connecting with communities by means of educational
performances, interactive ribbon dance activities, master
classes, “Meet the Artist” discussions, and
lecture/demonstrations. Presenters of the Company have been
supported by tour grants from Westaf, the California Arts
Council, Arts Midwest, Southern Arts, and the Mid-Atlantic
Arts Foundation.
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