The last day was very emotional. The night before we had gone out on the town to experience some nightlife with our newfound Chinese friends, so I had slept in a little later than usual. I woke up around 10 a.m., took a shower, and then started to pack—of course having more things than I… Read more »
Experiences in China
Day 5 – Climbing the Great Wall and celebrating new friendships
What do dancers do when they visit the Great Wall of China? On our final evening, Ms. Yingli arranged for us to attend a tea ceremony and farewell dinner with our Chinese student partners. The tea ceremony itself was mesmerizing. The woman who performed the demonstration flourished her hands over the pots and cups as… Read more »
Day 4 – Dance concert unites American and Chinese art and culture
Words cannot express my emotions at this moment. We had our show today, and it was a massive success. It was clear by the audience’s initial reaction to my collaboration piece with Camille and Jalyn that they had never seen anything like AADC before. I don’t think they had any idea what to make of… Read more »
Day 3 – Touring the Forbidden City and tasting Peking duck
Today was definitely something to remember. We saw things that we only read about in textbooks and see in movies, but we never think we’ll actually be able to see them and experience them in real life. Never did I think I would be in China visiting the Forbidden City. Not only that, but the… Read more »
Day 2 – sharing African diasporic dance and music, learning Chinese traditions
Today was a big reflection day. Dance was the main theme, and it didn’t disappoint. First was Professor Rosa’s class. It was interesting to see the Chinese students uncomfortable at first. They loosened up after a little while and some were picking up the moves quickly. Professor Rosa definitely did not go easy on them… Read more »
Day 1 – Lecture demonstration and shopping adventures
Participating in the lecture demonstration was an adaptive experience. We felt as if the Chinese students enjoyed watching us demonstrate our warm-up and choreographic pieces. Doing the moving sculpture with the Chinese students was exciting because many of the students wanted to be involved and move with us. Performing our collaboration was invigorating because we… Read more »
After 13-hour flight, AADC connects with Chinese students
We woke up bright and early in a fog to get to the bus in Bloomington, then headed off to the airport where we had some breakfast and shared our hopes and anxieties for the trip. Then it was off to Beijing on a 13-hour flight. We were all exhausted, but it seemed no one… Read more »