U-M Students Experience Dance Exchange in China

At the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, we support a wide range of initiatives across the university, all aimed at deepening understanding of China. Our programs and activities span academic research, student internships, and more.

In summer 2023, with financial support from our center, five students from the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD) embarked on a unique cross-cultural exchange in China, organized by Assistant Professor Fangfei Miao. Partnering with the Shanghai Theatre Academy College of Dance, the students spent ten days performing, teaching, and learning dance techniques in Shanghai and Harbin. The trip marked the first visit by an American dance team to China since the pandemic, offering a rare opportunity for immersive cultural engagement and artistic growth.

The program included a mix of performances and cultural classes. U-M students performed both jointly with Chinese dance students and independently, showcasing choreography by SMTD students and Professor Miao. They also took classes in traditional Chinese dance forms, including sword dance, the Anhui Flower Drum fan dance, and the Northeast Yangge handkerchief dance. Miao designed the exchange to illustrate the power of performing arts in bridging cultures, highlighting the experience as a chance for students to broaden their artistic visions and rethink the role of culture in dance.

For the students, the trip offered unforgettable insights into Chinese culture and diverse dance traditions. Robert Farr-Jones, a dance major, described the experience as transformative. “Being totally immersed in a culture so different from my own was eye-opening. I saw varied teaching styles and began incorporating them into my own work back home," he shared. "Had it not been for this trip, I think it would’ve taken much longer for me to adopt new perspectives in my teaching.”

Eye-Opening Trip

“Through both physical practice and observation, we immersed ourselves in a foreign arts culture and used movement to connect across language barriers.”

Rileigh Goldsmith, another participant, expressed how the exchange strengthened her appreciation for dance as a universal language. “Through both physical practice and observation, we immersed ourselves in a foreign arts culture and used movement to connect across language barriers,” she said. She found it inspiring to present her original choreography to welcoming Chinese audiences and feels encouraged to pursue more international opportunities in her career. “Engaging with dance internationally has inspired me to prioritize travel in my dance career!”

Kevin Wang, a recent graduate, added his perspective as both a teacher and learner. He co-taught a hip-hop class at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, a fresh experience for the Chinese students who were new to hip-hop. “The students were eager to learn, curious, and attentive to the new style," Wang shared. "It was fulfilling to watch them embrace something so different from their training.”

The experience was filled with personal and professional growth. For these SMTD students, performing and learning in China illustrated dance’s power to bridge cultures and foster mutual understanding.