KC Dance Sanctuaries Against the Tide 遡跃

July 22, 2023. Greater Washington Chinese Dance and Xuejuan Dance Ensemble conducted three free dance classes at the Kennedy Center's Social Impact Dance Sanctuaries Series. Classes took place in Studio F. This dance was performed during the showcase portion of the day.
Dance: Against the Tide 遡跃
Choreography: Jiawen LI 李佳雯、Zhu YUAN 袁竹、Jielin MA 马婕琳
Music: Yi YANG 杨翼
Performers: Lauren CHEN, Laura GAROFALO, Carissa KWAN, Jessica LIN, Illiana RONG, Heather WANG
Instructor: Xuejuan FENG
This Han ethnic dance centers on a small school of fish struggling to swim upstream against a strong current. The choreography features a modernized version of this dance style and utilizes a long fan to simultaneously depict the rough waves as well as the fish’s movements as they persevere towards their destination. This moving piece highlights the importance of tenacity, determination, and hard work.
Greater Washington Chinese Dance (GWCD) was established in 2022 as the non-profit affiliate of Xuejuan Dance Ensemble (XDE). Its aim is to bring the art of Chinese dance to diverse audiences in America. XDE (xjdance.org) has been dedicated to the education and performance of Chinese dance for 14 years. Based in Herndon, VA, XDE offers varied, rigorous, and comprehensive training in the ethnic, contemporary, and classical genres of Chinese dance. The ensemble provides training in technique and repertoire to young children, pre-teens, teens, and adults through a diverse curriculum. GWCD was established to complement and enhance the work of XDE. Its mission is to focus on community outreach in order to promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.