Lily Cai Chinese Dance Repertoire

Lily Cai Chinese Dance - photo Marty Sohl

Dynasties and Beyond

Dynasties and Beyond takes the audience on an artistic journey from the past to the present, from the East to the West, opening with elegant dances from the Chinese dynasties and closing with the rapid swirls of Lily Cai’s modern ribbon dance choreography.

The Dynasty Suite presents dances from thousands of years of Chinese culture, replete with colorful costumes and ornamental headdresses. The Suite is one of contrasts, from the flowing freedom of movement in dances from China’s Golden Age, the Tang Dynasty, to the constrained steps of the more recent Qing Dynasty, when foot-binding was fashionable. From its traditional beginning, the program then moves to a graceful East/West blend in Candelas, combining the Chinese sensibility of movement-within-the-space with Mahler’s music and the beauty of candlelight. The finale number blends the ancient art of Chinese ribbon dance with Lily Cai’s modern choreography.

Silk Cascade

In the Silk Cascade program, Lily Cai transforms elements of Chinese dance into unique and visually stunning choreography. Designed for theaters with full technical capability, the Silk Cascade program opens with Bamboo Girls, drawn from the angular dance movements of the Dai minority of Southern China. Bamboo Girls, a dance of innocence and youthful exuberance, features dance lines both straight like the bamboo and curved like the “S” shape deemed so beautiful throughout Chinese history.

The haunting Candelas number, danced with lit candles, speaks to humility and self-sacrifice as the flames melt the candles while giving light and warmth to others. The candles, like human life, are powerful, yet fragile, requiring careful attention to maintain their luminosity

Silk Cascade, the finale number, is a kaleidoscope of color, dance, and light. The Silk Cascade suite opens with traditional waves of brightly colored ribbons symbolizing health, wealth, and good luck for the future. Next, the piece challenges tradition, with contemporary rhythm, non-traditional colors, and the defiant play of light - the only connection to the past being the ribbons themselves. The finale to Silk Cascade, inspired by the paintings of Jackson Pollock, is a colorful explosion of dance movement and energy, celebrating joy, the unexpected, and the vibrancy of life.

415.776.5522

Lily Cai Contemporary

This season brings new works, created with Lily Cai’s signature blend of traditional and contemporary Chinese dance. The repertory program, designed for theaters with full technical capacity, will showcase new work and audience favorites from the Lily Cai repertoire. Stay tuned!

Red Typhoon

An evening-length work, Red Typhoon reveals the powerful emotional journey of Chinese women caught in the spiritual and cultural devastation of the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao. Red Typhoon takes its name from the dreaded midnight sweep by Red Guard zealots, going house-to-house, arresting “intellectuals,” artists, teachers, or anyone considered to be “counter-revolutionary.”

Drawing from her own experience and that of her family, Lily Cai engages movement and color to explore the cataclysmic effect of the Cultural Revolution on generations of Chinese women, illuminating the spiritual turbulence of the time by intersecting dances of the revolutionaries with those of the victims.

Rather than interpreting specific events, Lily Cai portrays the spirit of women caught in the sweeping tide of agitation, fear, and devastation, then recovering with a fragile sense of perspective and hope. With strong dance technique, combining traditional Chinese dance elements with modern dance and ballet, Lily Cai sheds light not only on the Cultural Revolution, but also on the human experience of oppression, shattered lives, and heart-rending loss and recovery, so much a part of our world today.

Family Matinees

The Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company Family program is a 50-60 theater performance for families with young children. The narrated program presents a fast-moving collage of Chinese court and regional dances, with colorful costumes and props, designed to hold the attention of young audiences. Presenters may choose to have the Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company conduct its interactive ribbon dance activity with the audience members following the matinee.