Modern dance is a powerful interpreter of emotions, status and society. On Sep. 17, the art form will articulate feminine culture and its intriguing ability of martial power.

This rare insight into the less celebrated side of the female spirit will be shared with audiences due to the efforts of choreographer Cheng-Chieh Yu (余承婕), who was trained in Modern Dance, Tai Chi Quan and chinese Opera Movement in Taipei National University of Arts, Taiwan.

In 1994, after she completed an MFA in choreography at New York University, Yu began concentrating on building a fresh Post-Modern Dance Technique informed by a martial art style called BaGuaZhang (八卦掌). Starting in the 1990s, she studied with martial arts masters in New York City, Los Angeles and Taiwan. In 2008, she was acknowledged in the lineage of Wu Tan, with Master Jason Tsou, becoming one of the very few female initiates in The Wu Tan Lineage.

Currently working as assistant professor in the Department of World Art and Cultures at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), her newest performances explore traditional female martial archetypes. The themes do not resist the use of violence, as pacifist feminists might.

Interestingly, the Chinese characters “舞 (dance)” and “武 (military)” share the same pronunciation. Entitling the dance “Wu Wu Wu,” Yu playfully invites audiences into a worldscape progressing from martial arts to dance through body language, stage scenery and costumes.

When: 20:00 on Saturday, September 17, 2011

Where: Guangdong Song and Dance Theatre 广东歌舞剧院小剧场

Address: 32-34 Shui Yin Si Heng Lu, GuangZhou 广州市水荫横路32-34号

Tickets: ￥250/ ￥120/ ￥80 (Members 20% off, Student/Senior Citizens 50%)

Enquiries & Ticket Booking: 020-87049512

Approx.75 minutes, no intermission

An artist meet and greet session will take place after the performance