Maryland Dancers Win International Chinese Classical Dance Competition

New dancers are finding their way to Chinese Classical Dance as the Shen Yun performances win popular acclaim worldwide.
Maryland Dancers Win International Chinese Classical Dance Competition
Rocky Liao said the two parts of the competition tested his 'ability of technical dance' and his 'ability to express a character.' Edward Dai/The Epoch Times
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<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/RockyLiao2copy_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/RockyLiao2copy_medium.jpg" alt="Rocky Liao said the two parts of the competition tested his 'ability of technical dance' and his 'ability to express a character.' (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" title="Rocky Liao said the two parts of the competition tested his 'ability of technical dance' and his 'ability to express a character.' (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-89286"/></a>
Rocky Liao said the two parts of the competition tested his 'ability of technical dance' and his 'ability to express a character.' (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)

BETHESDA, MD―New dancers are finding their way to Chinese Classical Dance as the Shen Yun performances win popular acclaim worldwide. A dance competition is one way to generate interest in Chinese Classical Dance and to find tomorrow’s most talented Chinese Classical dancers.

But “dance” isn’t all that you may think it is. There is a large “acting” component in Chinese Classical Dance, and this fact may hold the key to its strong appeal to aspiring young dancers.

Two young men who come from Maryland tied for first place in the third annual “International Classical Chinese Dance Competition,” which was a four-day event held in Tribeca in lower Manhattan, New York City, at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

Tony Xue, from Bethesda, Maryland and Rocky Liao, from Damascus, Maryland each won $10,000 for their performances in the male junior division in Chinese Classical Dance which was held from June 19 to June 21.

Both young men have been performing in the Divine Performing Arts, now known as Shen Yun Performing Arts New York company, and have toured throughout the world, including Frankfurt, London, Antwerp, Paris, Oslo, Linkoping (Sweden), Aarhus (Denmark), Stockholm, Berlin, Lodz, Vienna, Brno (Czech Republic), Edinburgh, Dresden, and Amsterdam.

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/TonyXue_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/TonyXue_medium-304x450.jpg" alt="Tony Xue's dance performance 'Junior Han Xin,' an homage to the great historical Chinese General, earned him a share of first prize in the Junior Male competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" title="Tony Xue's dance performance 'Junior Han Xin,' an homage to the great historical Chinese General, earned him a share of first prize in the Junior Male competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-89287"/></a>
Tony Xue's dance performance 'Junior Han Xin,' an homage to the great historical Chinese General, earned him a share of first prize in the Junior Male competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)
In North America, the company has performed in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Ottawa, Kitchener-Waterloo (Ontario), Toronto, Montreal, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Xue said they also performed in Japan and Korea. There are two other Shen Yun Performing Arts companies that traveled to other countries and cities.

Also a member of this touring company is William Li, who took second place in the junior male competition. He was staying with Rocky Liao’s family when I interviewed Liao. I interviewed both of them together; Li, however, is not from Maryland but makes his home in Toronto.

These three winners of the international dance competition will be performing in Washington, D.C. for an “encore” performance August 26-30.

Technique vs. Expressing a Character

Xue said the dance competition consists of two components: a 1-2 minute “technical” performance of “required movements and techniques,” and a 2-3 minute dance routine of their own choosing.

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/WilliamAndRocky_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/WilliamAndRocky_medium.jpg" alt="William Li (l), 15, from Toronto, Canada, and Rocky Liao (r), 17, from Damascus, Md., won second and first place (tied), respectively, of the men's junior division in the 2009 International Classical Chinese Dance Competition, held in New York City, June 21. (Gary Feuerberg/ Epoch Times)" title="William Li (l), 15, from Toronto, Canada, and Rocky Liao (r), 17, from Damascus, Md., won second and first place (tied), respectively, of the men's junior division in the 2009 International Classical Chinese Dance Competition, held in New York City, June 21. (Gary Feuerberg/ Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-89288"/></a>
William Li (l), 15, from Toronto, Canada, and Rocky Liao (r), 17, from Damascus, Md., won second and first place (tied), respectively, of the men's junior division in the 2009 International Classical Chinese Dance Competition, held in New York City, June 21. (Gary Feuerberg/ Epoch Times)
“The dance routine is worth more—about 70 percent, and the technical portion, 30 percent,” said Xue. In the technical part, the contestant must perform in five categories: leaps, turns, flips, control, and tumbling techniques. Within these categories, there is some choice, but apparently there isn’t much leeway on how these are performed.

Liao explained that the technical part “tests your ability of technical dance. It is very specific, very strict; like it has parameters, you just have to do it; if you don’t do it [right], you don’t get points.”

By contrast, the dance portion of the Competition “tests your ability to express a character,” said Liao. In this part, one is graded on “how well you express Chinese Classical Dance—techniques, feeling and rhythmic sense,” said Xue.

“It’s not like opera where you can sing,” said Liao. “You can’t say anything [in the dance],” and that makes it harder to convey the character.

There are two main components in Chinese Classical Dance: bearing and form. The forms are the movements, and other kinds of dance, such as ballet, emphasize form.

Bearing conveys the inner meaning of the dance, and is not emphasized in ballet. In a Chinese Classical dance, two different performers will express the feeling side of the dance in his or her own way, because their bearings will not be the same.

Choosing an Historical Person to Portray

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/AngeliaWang_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/AngeliaWang_medium.jpg" alt="Angelia Wang's performance won first place in the Junior Female competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" title="Angelia Wang's performance won first place in the Junior Female competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-89289"/></a>
Angelia Wang's performance won first place in the Junior Female competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)
One gets the sense after speaking with Xue, Liao and Li that they wouldn’t be involved in dancing if it were all, or mostly all, technique. They are drawn to Chinese Classical Dance mainly because it allows them to express and develop their creative side. Li especially voiced his preference for the “acting” side of the Competition; he regards the technical part as only where one’s mistakes will be noted.

Li shown his acting talent last year in his portrayal of monk Ji Gong, who displays an “unorthodox and seemingly-crazy, manner of doing good works,” said the program notes—quite an achievement for playing a much older man and a highly eccentric one at that.

Xue and Liao had lead roles last year in Legend of the Brush, which tells how a divine being, a Dao, comes down to earth to teach the Chinese people how to write with ink and brushes. Xue played the recipient of the gift from Heaven and Liao played the Dao.

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/GoldenLi_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/GoldenLi_medium-299x450.jpg" alt="Shen Yun Performing Arts dancer Golden Li won First Place in the Adult Male Competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" title="Shen Yun Performing Arts dancer Golden Li won First Place in the Adult Male Competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-89290"/></a>
Shen Yun Performing Arts dancer Golden Li won First Place in the Adult Male Competition. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)
For the Competition, all three contestants had to decide what character they would play for the dance portion of the Competition. And that appears to be about the hardest aspect of preparing for the Competition.

Xue chose Han Xin, a brilliant general during the Han who died in 196 BC. Though born poor, he emerged as a superior military strategist and won battles against great odds. At the same time, he could show great humility.

Liao chose Xiang Yu, a legendary hero who led rebel forces to bring about the end of the Qin Dynasty. Liao said that he lost all of his men in a battle where they were surrounded and greatly outnumbered. Xiang Yu could have escaped by crossing a river and make his way home, but instead chose to commit suicide rather than face the families of his men whom he felt responsible for having led to their deaths.

William Li said he could not come up with anyone. So he called his parents in Toronto who suggested Yang Liu Lang, another warrior—the sixth son of the Yang clan, this time from the Sung dynasty.

DC’s August 2009 Shen Yun Program Includes 10 International Competition Winners

Washington, D.C. is fortunate in having 10 first place winners in international competitions perform at the Kennedy Center Opera House in August 26-30, when the Shen Yun Performing Arts New York company returns for an encore performance. In addition to Xue and Liao who won the 2009 junior male division, Golden Li took first place in the adult male division. In previous competitions, NY Company’s Timothy Wu and Yung-chia Chen won the adult male division in 2008 and 2007, respectively.

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/JenniferSu_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/JenniferSu_medium-303x450.jpg" alt="First place co-winner of the Adult Female Competition, Jennifer Su. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" title="First place co-winner of the Adult Female Competition, Jennifer Su. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-89291"/></a>
First place co-winner of the Adult Female Competition, Jennifer Su. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)
For the female dancers, Michelle Ren, winner of the 2007 adult woman division, will be performing in August, along with Chelsea Cai (2008 junior woman champion) and Angelia Wang (2009 junior woman champion).

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/CindyLiu_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/CindyLiu_medium-304x450.jpg" alt="Cindy Liu was the first place co-winner of the Adult Female Competition. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)" title="Cindy Liu was the first place co-winner of the Adult Female Competition. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-89292"/></a>
Cindy Liu was the first place co-winner of the Adult Female Competition. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun Performing Arts returns to Washington, D.C. August 26-30 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. Check for DC show times and tickets at: ShenYunPerformingArts.org