Xiangxiu Lin, the first Chinese American dancer to join the esteemed José Limón Dance Company, has recently made her way to the San Francisco Bay Area. She is set to present “RISING III,” a performance that draws from her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the “Elevate” program with the San José Dance Company (sjDANCEco). In our conversation, Lin shared how the pandemic dramatically affected the performing arts sector, with dancers finding themselves rehearsing in masks amid a cloud of fear and uncertainty. She experienced personal loss, with three close family members passing away during this challenging time. “Many of the emotions we felt during the pandemic, particularly the confusion, will be expressed in the dance,” she explained. “It culminates in a search for life’s purpose and hope among the dancers.”
Lin has deep roots in the Bay Area, having earned her Master’s degree in Performing Arts from San José State University. After moving to the U.S. in 1990 to pursue her dance career, she frequently traveled between Taiwan and the U.S. In 2023, Lin returned to Taiwan to fulfill family obligations and has since taken on a teaching role at the National Taiwan University of Arts. Her contributions to the dance world have not gone unnoticed; she has been nominated twice for the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards and is celebrated as a trailblazer among Taiwanese modern dancers in America.
Reflecting on her collaboration with the San José Dance Company, Lin spoke fondly of her long-standing friendship with director Maria Basile. Since the company’s inception in 2003, Lin has performed with them and returned in 2009 as a guest choreographer.
When discussing the difficulties dancers faced during the pandemic, Lin highlighted the particularly tough year of 2020 when in-person classes were canceled and the performing arts came to a standstill. “It was a time filled with incredible anxiety and uncertainty,” she noted. Despite the challenges, the San José Dance Company creatively adapted, bringing performances outdoors, which Lin recognized as vital during those trying times.
Lin also emphasized the emotional toll the pandemic took on younger dancers. For the first two movements of “RISING,” she specifically involved young performers aged 9 to 14, many of whom had to shift to online dance classes during the pandemic. Their feelings of uncertainty about the future became a key theme of the performance.
Since her return to the Bay Area, Lin has noticed a decline in the engagement of Chinese Americans with modern dance. Many see it as an art form that feels distant. Yet she believes that the San José Dance Company is investing significant resources and energy into producing internationally acclaimed performances. Lin hopes to inspire greater appreciation for this art form within the Chinese community.
Having already released two installments of “RISING,” which delve into the pandemic’s effects and adaptations, Lin’s upcoming “RISING III” focuses on the post-pandemic experience and the search for direction after navigating crisis-related uncertainties. The performance will feature music by the late Italian composer Ezio Bosso, performed by the San José Chamber Orchestra. “Elevate” will take place at the San Jose California Theatre on October 11 and 12.
