Chinese Ribbon & Fan | Vanderbilt LNYF 2020

This dance is a combination of two traditional Chinese dances from the Han Dynasty. Ribbon dance was created in the memory of a historical figure who used his sleeve to protect the Emperor from an assassin’s sword. Fan dance has roots in both military and civilian style. Military fan dances use coordinated group movements to symbolize uniformity and authority. Civilian fan dances represent grace and beauty as an extension of the human body. In this dance, we use long silky ribbons and veiled fans to combine traditional dance with modern movements and music.
Choreographed by: Emma Joseph, Danielle Liu, Ivey Li
Performers: Alex Jin, Ben Nguyen, Ellie Nguyen, Emily Xue, Hannah Yang, Irene Li, Jane Yao, Jazon (Canwen) Jiao, Lauren Wong, Maggie Xu, Patrick Qian, Peiheng Zhang, Rachel Miles, Sara Morice, Sarah-Anne McKenzie, William Gao
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Co-Chairs: John Lee and Skylar Long
Coordinator: Michelle Liu
Welcome to LNYF 2020: A Recipe for Success. The Lunar New Year Festival (LNYF) commemorates the eponymous holiday traditionally celebrated in many Asian cultures to bring good fortune, happiness, and health for the new year. We are immensely excited to have you join us in our celebration of the Lunar holiday with these captivating performances, impactful stories, and indispensable forms of creative expression within the Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) tradition.
Over 350 student performers, choreographers, committee members, and volunteers have dedicated their diverse talents in the last several months to produce this show. The final twenty-one acts featured tonight reflect the variety and richness of the cultures within the AAPI identity, as well as within the Vanderbilt community here on campus.
This year, the theme revolves around a central discussion on success. With its various possible interpretations and definitions, how is one’s success molded, constricted, or expanded by their surrounding cultural context? We focus on a particular aspect of immigrant milieu: transplanted culinary traditions and the small family-owned restaurants that keep them alive. Ideological differences arise when individuals consider different approaches to achieving success as they navigate an unfamiliar professional space.
We hope to engage you in a culturally immersive experience that opens up a gateway into further discussion and education on these issues pertinent to our communities.