For almost 50 years, Yongge Chen has been a professional dancer and teacher. The current artistic director of Wuyue Arts Foundation entered the Affiliated Dance School of Shenyang Conservatory of Music in 1975 and graduated in 1980 and was subsequently assigned to the Liaoning Ballet as a performer and instructor. In 1997, Yongge Chen was recognized as a National-Level Art Instructor. Under his guidance, several students and performers won the Gold Award at the Liaoning Province Taoli Cup Competition and the Gold Award in the Junior Category at the National Taoli Cup. In 1996 and 1997, Yongge Chen was invited to serve as a guest instructor at the Hong Kong Wang Renman Ballet School, and also participated as an instructor in the summer courses held by the same school in 2004 and 2006. Yongge Chen told the New Americans magazine of how successful the recently held 2nd WuYue Dance Performance in Columbus was, stating that “the dancers delivered a captivating and emotionally charged show.”

Columbus

In 1998, I was invited to teach at the Columbus City Ballet School in the United States. I have also taught Chinese folk dance to both adults and children at local Chinese school for over 20 years. In 2016, I founded the Wuyue Art Foundation to bring together dancers from diverse backgrounds to explore and perform various dance styles. Our group is dedicated to promoting the art of dance and fostering a supportive community for dancers of all levels.

Wuyue Art Foundation

Our dance group operates with simplicity and inclusivity at its core. Anyone who loves to dance is welcome to join regardless of their age or experience level. We offer a trial period to ensure a good fit within the group. We believe in inclusivity and encourage anyone with a passion for dance to join us.

Location

Since I founded the Wuyue Art Foundation, I have been teaching children’s folk dance and adult folk dance, ballet, and dance fitness classes, as well as private lessons. Every year in December, we host a Christmas party to celebrate with students and their families, showcasing the students’ progress with a performance. We participate and perform in various events throughout the year, including Chinese festivals in February and Asian festivals in May, at community centers, theaters, and other outdoor festivals. I also provide various platforms for students to showcase and exchange their talents, including theater performances in 2003 and 2004 with professional and amateur dancers. Over the years, students have significantly improved and can perform my choreographed pieces beautifully, receiving much praise from the audience.

Awards

In 2018, my children’s dance class won first place at a dance competition organized by the Confucius Institute in Cleveland with their performance of “Jasmine Flower.” My meticulous and professional teaching has solidified students’ foundational skills. The adult ballet class students, starting from scratch, can now perform on pointe like professional dancers. They have performed pieces like “The Blue Danube” and “The Butterfly Lovers,” with their “Butterfly Lovers” performance being particularly impressive. Folk dance students have progressed from simple dances to mastering styles like Mongolian, Tibetan, Xinjiang, and classical dance.

WuYue Dance Performance

Last year we started organizing and hosting our own festival. We will continue to offer more opportunities and look forward to meeting everyone at next year’s dance festival.

Sunday’s performance was titled “2nd WuYue Dance Performance.” This marks our second annual event. “WuYue” is a Chinese term meaning “dance” and “music” reflecting our focus on these arts. This year’s show was another successful event, following last year’s performance.

Audience

Beside my own dance groups, we invited several other dance groups, as well as professional dancers Feifei, Roth, and Ying Xu to perform. We welcomed a diverse audience, including family and friends of the dancers, local community committee members, dance enthusiasts, and representatives from the Dublin community. We were thrilled to have such a supportive and engaging audience.

The performance was exceptional. The dancers delivered a captivating and emotionally charged show, earning enthusiastic applause and standing ovations from the audience. The reception and atmosphere were wonderful, filled with excitement and appreciation for the hard work and talent of the performers.

Opportunity

Our dance group is open to anyone interested in joining. Prospective members can sign up at any time and are welcome to attend a trial class to experience our group. For information about joining and class schedules please text 614-707-2681.

Lastly, I would like to thank the community and our dancers for their support in the past. We are always looking for new members to join our dance group and seeking ways to engage with the community.

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