A native of Shanghai and former principal dancer with the Shanghai Opera House, Lily Cai is a prominent member of the Bay Area’s dance community. She has won awards from the California Dance Educators Association, Asian American Arts Foundation, Bay Area Fund for Dance, San Francisco Arts Commission, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Council, Rockefeller Foundation and Creative Work Fund. Lily has held several fellowships including the 2000 Irvine Fellow in Dance and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Choreographer’s Fellowship and has participated in the California Arts Council’s Artist-in-Residence Program for nine years.

The 45-minute Classical and Folk Dances from China brings the movement of China alive in a captivating, truly unique presentation. With traditional costumes of the Tang and Qing dynasties, colorful folkdance ribbons and fans, big head masks and dangerous swords, Lily covers the regional and cultural differences, and choreographic structures of several dances. Several students will be invited onstage to participate.