Chinese Ribbon Dance of Empowerment

In coordination with the exhibit “Chinese Dance: National Movements in a Revolutionary Age, 1945-1965,” the Williamsburg Regional Library will host a public evening with Kerry Lee, the Co-Artistic Director of the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company. Kerry Lee is an Asian American dance artist who addresses social justice issues through the art of Chinese dance.

She will share a short film of her signature work Ribbon Dance of Empowerment: Chinese Dance through the Eyes of an American, which combines Chinese dance with personal storytelling to share a rarely told story about growing up Chinese American in the black/white racial binary of the South, celebrating the role Chinese dance has played in her search for identity, belonging, and self-acceptance. Kerry will give short live demonstrations of Chinese dance and discuss her experiences as a dance artist and educator in conversation with Dr. Emily Wilcox, Associate Professor and Director of Chinese Studies at William & Mary. This exhibit is presented with support from the William & Mary Arts & Sciences Faculty Grants Fund.