ABOUT CAI YING
CAI Ying, born in Xiamen, China, is a dance artist, choreographer, performer, teacher, researcher based in Hong Kong and Singapore. Her work has taken shape in many forms including staged dance works, installation art, site-specific performances, and immersive experiences. Ying holds a BFA degree in Chinese Dance at the Beijing Dance Academy and MFA degree in Choreography at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. CAI Ying is 2015-2017 Yale-China HKETO Arts Fellow at Yale University, she is currently a Senior Lecturer in Dance at Singapore Raffles Music College.
E-mail: caiying.dance@gmail.com
Phone: +852 9263 4629
"My works explore the state of flowing between senses of alienation and belongingness, insider and outsider, sameness and otherness. I concerns how physical and mental “selves” are shaped and constrained or encouraged by the cultural environments; how people orient themselves to a changing world while identity itself constantly grows and evolves; how conditions of geographical mobility produce new experiences and understandings of sexuality and gender identity; and most recently my interest is exploring how body perceive its own existence and the existence of other bodies through "situation" or “game”.
As a dance artist, I feel my body has become a mobile device, traveling the world, encountering many different countries, cultures and people. Time spent in new places, heightens my curiosity about the multi-dimensional relationships among socio-political bodies, individuals, and phenomenological issues of intentionality, self-awareness and intersubjectivity.
I was originally trained in traditional Chinese dance at the Beijing Dance Academy where I studied for ten years. In 2006, I traveled to Hong Kong to get an MFA in choreography. The social environment, cultural diversity and political freedom of Hong Kong enabled me to identify, and then break through, certain constraints of my traditional upbringing, both professionally and personally."
CAI Ying
October 2017
Educational Background
January 2016-June 2017
Yale University
New Haven, U.S.A
• Yale-China’s HKETO-NY Arts Fellow.
September 2006-June 2008
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Hong Kong, China
• MFA in Dance. Specialization in Choreography.
September 1999-July 2003
The Beijing Dance Academy
Beijing, China
• BFA in Dance. Major in Chinese Folk Dance.
September 1993-July1999
The Secondary School Attached to Beijing Dance Academy
Beijing, China
• Diploma. Major in Chinese Dance.
Professional Experience & Achievements
Choreographer/Performer
September 2008-Present
Sparkle! (Presented by the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department)
• Performed 《When Will I See You Again》 choreographed by Hong Kong Artist Scarlet Yu, Hong Kong, China (2017).
International Festival of Arts & Ideas 2017 (presented by International Festival of Arts & Ideas)
• Choregaphed and performed《IN—BETWEEN/ THE CHAOS PROJECT 》, a collaboration with Hong Kong New Media Artist Phoebe Hui at Yale University Green Hall Gallery, New Haven, USA (2017).
Hong Kong Dance Day 2016 (Presented by the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department)
• Choreographed a site-specific interactive work《?》, Hong Kong, China (2016).
South Island Art Day 2016 (presented by South Island Cultural District)
• Choreographed and performed at Alisan Fine Arts Gallery with the opening solo exhibition of Fine Art Artist Wong Mengsha《Garden》, Hong Kong, China (2016).
International Festival of Arts & Ideas 2016 (presented by International Festival of Arts & Ideas)
• 《Yale-in-China Showcase》A presentation to share perspectives about creating art in the New Haven community, New Haven, USA (2016)
• 《From Yale to Hong Kong》, a working progress showing of an immersive and interactive performance, a collaboration with Hong Kong New Media Artist Phoebe Hui, presented by San Francisco Chinese Culture Centre, San Francisco, USA (2016)
Hong Kong Arts Festival 2016 (Presented by Hong Kong Arts Festival Limited)
• Choreographed a World Premiere work《wŏ-mén》in The Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series, performed with Hon Kong Dance Artist Sarah Xiao, Hong Kong, China (2016).
DANCE—Exhibition by Eugenia Grandchamp dex Raux (Presented by agnès b. LIBRAIE GALERIE)
• Research, Choreographed and performed five short dances with Hong Kong Dance Artist Li De and French Artist Alice Rensy on possible Chinese contemporary dance forms, Hong Kong, China (2015).
Sibu International Dance Festival (Presented by Hornland Dance Theatre, Malaysia)
• Choreographed and performed《回。煞 Returning Spirit》with Hong Kong Dance Artist Bobbi Chan and Shanghai/HongKong Dance Artist Peng Zhang, Sibu, Malaysia (2015)
0-Viewpoint-Stella Zhang Solo Exhibition (Presented by Galerie du Monde)
• Choreographed and performed a site-specific dance《A Dialogue Between “WOMEN”》, a collaboration with San Francisco Visual Artist Stella Zhang, Hong Kong, China (2015).
Dance and Music Series#7 (Presented by Toccata Studio)
• Performed《UMBRELLA》 with New York/Hong Kong Artist Abby Chan, collaborated with Malaysia Music Composer and Sound Designer Ng Chor Guan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2014).
• Performed《Encounter》 with New York Artist Thomas Colleen, New York/Hong Kong Artist Abby Chan, Shanghai Artist Peng Zhang and Bangkok Artist Natta Thapparat , Shanghai, China (2014).
Hong Kong Dance Festival: Dance Day 2013 (Presented by the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department)
• Performed a site-specific dance performance《紅男綠女》with Hong Kong Artist Francis Leung, Hong Kong, China (2013).
• Performed《Kidult Ophelia》 with Hong Kong Artist Abby Chan and director Man Chan, Presented by the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong, China (2013).
2013 Community Cultural Ambassador project (Organized and produced by DanceArt dance theater, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department)
• Choreographed《Memory Cather》, Hong Kong, China (2012).
Taipei Fringe 2013
• Choreographed and performed a site-specific dance《On the Road Again @ Nahai Gallery》, Taipei, Taiwan (2013).
World Symposium on Global Encounters in Southeast Asian Performing Art (Co-hosted by Bangkok University of Thailand, and the University of Victoria of Canada)
• Choreographed and performed a site-specific dance《On the Road Again 1.1 》, Bangkok, Thailand (2013).
i-Dance Festival 2012, December: New Dance Marathon (Present by Y-Space)
• Choreographed and performed《心所》with Hong Kong Musician Mavis Lam, Hong Kong, China (2012).
Hong Kong People's Fringe Festival (Co-organized by DanceArt dance theater and Ho Bit Goon)
• Choreographed and performed a site-specific dance《On the Road Again 1.0》, Hong Kong, China (2012).
New Chinese Ethnic Dance: I Dance, Therefore I am (Present by Hong Kong Dance Company Outreach and Education Department)
• Choreographed《Memory》, Hong Kong, China (2012).
International Arts Carnival: The Enchanting Orient (Present by Hong Kong Dance Company)
• Choreographed《Spring Awakening》, Hong Kong, China (2012).
2011 Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism \ Architecture
• Choreographed and performed a site-specific dance performance《Bodyscape》with Hong Kong Artist Ivy Tsui, Nicky Hu in Kowloon Park, Hong Kong, China (2012).
Dance On Parallel Line Series (3) (Present by Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department)
• Choreographed and performed Dance Performance《Moving/ Void》with Hong Kong Dance Artist Francis Leung, Hong Kong, China (2012).
Cadence - A Chinese Dance Showcase of Young Talents (Present by Singapore National Arts Council)
• Chinese Dance Training Programmer and classwork showing Instructor, Singapore (2011).
• Choreographed Chinese Dance《Hui》 performed by Singapore Dance Artist Li Ruimin and Elizabeth Chan, Singapore (2011).
The Korea International T&D Dance Festival
• Dance Workshop Instructor for Pusan National University, School of Arts, Pusan, Korea (2011).
• Choreographed《迴》With Hong Kong Dance Artist Li YongJing, Pusan & Seoul, Korea (2011).
November Dances / Hong Kong Dance Festival 2010 (Presented by School of Dance, The Hong Kong Academy for PerformingArts)
• Choreographed Chinese Dance《Fire and Flame》performed by Academy Dance Ensemble, Hong Kong, China (2010).
Neo-Danceism (Presented by E-Side Dance Company), major events of Hong Kong Dance Festival 2010
• Choreographed《5W1H》performed by Hong Kong Dance Artist Cliff Huen and Jessica Chung, Hong Kong, China (2010).
BuildMotivation (Present by E-side Dance Company)
•Performed Site-specific Dance 《Drifting》 choreographed by Hong Kong/London Dance Artist Victor Fung, Hong Kong, China (2009).
Dance Poem: The Trace of Migrators (Presented by Association of Hong Kong Dance Organizations)
• Choreographed《Love Songs in Dialogue》performed by Yuen Hai Artiste Troupe, Hong Kong, China (2009).
Dance Platform 2008 (Presented by Hong Kong Dance Alliance)
• Choreographed《Control》performed by HKAPA graduated students at Fringe Club, Hong Kong, China (2008).
Dance Instructor/Education
Hong Kong Dance Federation Dance Instructor (2012-2016)
• Taught Chinese Dance & Teaching Method to Chinese Dance Teacher.
A member of Singapore Youth Festival 2012 Central Judging of Dances (Chinese Dance Category) invited by Singapore Arts Education Brach, Singapore (2012-2017).
Hong Kong Dance Company Children / Youth Troupe Instructor and choreographer (2011-2014)
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
• Taught Chinese Technique, Chinese Folk Dance and Repertoire for the BFA and Gifted Young Dancer Programme (2006-2011).
Curriculum included teaching Chinese Mongolia style dance to third-year students (2010-2011).
Yunnan Huadeng and Tibetan styles to first-year students (2006-2011).
Chinese Dance Repertory to Second year students (2008).
The Xiamen Academy for Performing Arts
• Full-time dance teacher and choreographer. Taught Chinese Technique, Chinese Folk Dance and Repertoire, Xiamen China. (2003-2006).