Past Cultural Exchanges
December 2021: ZiRu commissioned works by Chinese choreographer Guang Lei (featuring Cross Move Lab) and Polish choreographer Robert Bondara (featuring Poznan Opera Ballet) for the virtual Silicon Valley Dance Festival “Renewal”
December 2020: ZiRu commissioned work by Mongolian choreographer Adiya (featuring LDTX) for the virtual Silicon Valley Dance Festival “Renewal”
2017: Amelia Eisen completed an exchange in Germany, working with dance companies in Berlin and Monheim.
July 2015: Alysia Chang completed a month-long exchange in Taipei, Taiwan, studying intensively with the world-renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theater and exploring Taiwanese culture as a way to gain understanding and get in touch with her Taiwanese ancestry.
2015: Charles Roy & Madelyn Biven participated in an 8-city tour in China with AMWAY’s 2015 corporate holiday conference. The duo performed a new duet created specifically for this tour, in partnership with BJ Brilliance, a Chinese industrial production company.
Nov 2014-Feb 2015: Elizabeth Chitty completed a 3 month exchange in China, attending the Guandong Dance Festival in Beijing, participating in a 2-week choreographic residency with the Wuzhou Dance Company in Taiyuan, Shangxi Province, and taking company class with LDTX in Beijing while simultaneously studying Mandarin.
September 2014: Liu Yifeng (LDTX) came to San Francisco to attend a 2-week choreographic residency with the LINES Ballet Training Program
October 2013 - June 2014: The 2013-2014 Season was the culmination of a multi-year process, the fulfillment of a vision we articulated when we founded ZiRu Productions in 2007. For this season, ZiRu Dance received grant support from The US State Department and the US Embassy in Beijing to construct a cultural exchange program that brought American modern dance choreographers to teach in Chinese universities and dance programs and culminated with a five-city performance tour by ZiRu Dance.
ZiRu Dance partnered with 5 American choreographers and partnering institutions: Scott Putman (of Amaranth Dance Company, in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University), Aleta Hayes (in partnership with Stanford University), Shaylen Keller (founding member of ZiRu Dance), Mary Armentrout (founder of Mary Armentrout Dance Theater), Karah Abiog (in partnership with Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program), and Philein Wang (Founder and Artistic Director of ZiRu Dance) to teach.
During the months of October 2013, December 2013, March 2014, April 2014 and June 2014, ZiRu Dance sent teachers to China to teach at: Beijing Normal University, LDTX/Beijing Dance, Daqing Normal University, Tianjin Conservatory of Music, Renmin University of China, Western Academy Beijing, and Beijing National Day School.
To finish the exchange program, between June 2-23, 2014, ZiRu Dance embarked on a 5-city exchange and tour, performing in Beijing, Kunshan, Xiangyang, Daqing, and Dalian.
June-August 2013: Emily Withenbury traveled through Europe participating in technique classes and workshops throughout Europe (southern Italy, Paris, Netherlands, Berlin, and Vienna). In Vienna, Austria, Emily participates in Impulstanz dance festival, taking workshops from David Zambrano (Amsterdam: Flying Low Technique), Anouk Van Dijk (Melbourne, Australia: Countertechnique), Veronika Mayerbock (Vienna, Austria: Choreographing Light), Nicold Peisl (Frankfurt, Germany: Forsythe Work-based Action Taking & Situatedness), and Gavin Webber (Freiburg, Germany: The Subtle Body and Chi Gong).
May-July 2013: Michele Wong completed a three-month exchange with Guangdong Modern Dance Company (GMDC) in Guangzhou, China. Michele participated in daily company technique classes and rehearsals with the company and was given the opportunity to perform with the company in Guangzhou and Beijing at the end of July for the International Dance Festival.
September 2012: ZiRu Dance commissioned a new work from Sunny Shen (LDTX) for the 2012 Home Season
June-July 2012: ZiRu Dance invited former LDTX Dancer, Sunny Shen to perform with the company in new works by Charles Anderson and Scott Putnam at the Beijing Dance Festival in Beijing.
July 2012: ZiRu Dance facilitated Charles Anderson teaching and presenting new work at the Beijing Dance Festival
July 2012: Ziru Dance performed an evening-length program at the Beijing Dance Festival in July 2012.
July 2012: ZiRu Dance produced a week-long Chinese tour for ODC Dance including main stage performances at the Beijing Dance Festival and Beijing Normal University and a residency with a local Beijing dance project.
June 2012: ZiRu Dance completed a two-week, two-city tour to Beijing and Jilin alongside RAW Dance and dancers from the LINES Ballet Training Program.
September 2010: Sunny Shen (formerly of LDTX in China) came to San Francisco to attend a 2-week choreographic residency with the LINES Ballet Training Program