Chinese Cultural Dance Club puts on annual show “˜Lotus Steps’

When fifth-year computer science student Alex Wong went to an open house for the Chinese Cultural Dance Club at UCLA, he didn’t know what he was getting into.

The lone male in the class of female dancers, Wong originally thought the club gave free dance lessons. It eventually catapulted him into a year-long venture into lessons, rehearsals and practices in the techniques, mannerisms and nuances of Chinese culture dance.

“It’s different being surrounded by all these women and you’re the only guy. It’s a little awkward at first, but then I guess it’s really easy to adjust because they really welcomed me. I was not that great of a dancer, but they really took their time to teach me and I appreciated that,” Wong said.

This Saturday, Wong and the rest of the club will perform on stage at Royce Hall for the Chinese Cultural Dance Club’s annual dance show “Lotus Steps.” According to Michie Cao, a fourth-year architectural studies student and the club’s artistic director, this year’s theme is encompassed by its title, “Songs of the Past,” as ancient Chinese legends and tales will take center stage through visual and musical interpretations.

Digging into the Chinese histories and timelines, Cao said the dances will include a narrative on the legend of Mulan, a focus on dances from different minority groups in China and a reinterpretation of a famous Chinese poem from the Han period called “The Beauty Poem.”

“These are stories that last a long time. They get passed down from generation to generation and it’s a form of expression through people,” Cao said. “Looking through those things, you can learn things that are not in textbooks or facts about China. You get to learn about the valleys and struggles they went through as people.”

Even though preparation for the entirely student-run show started at the beginning of the year, Yessenia Chaiu, a fourth-year environmental science student and internal president, said that students of all levels of dance experience are welcome to join, from someone with little experience like Wong, to someone with years of experience, like many of the instructors in the club.

Not only does the club prepare for the annual show at Royce Hall, but the dancers also put on dim sum fundraisers and various performances on- and off-campus to spread the cultural message throughout the community. For “Lotus Steps,” the club partnered with UCLA Wushu and USC Traditional Chinese Dance, which will be giving guest performances at the show.

The club has performed at local middle schools in the Los Angeles area, as well as at performances for the Chinese Student Association and more recently at the Chinese Cultural Dance Night.

“Our members are really supportive and we’ve been working hard toward this since the beginning of the year, holding fundraisers and outside performances, just so that we can make it non-profit since the tickets are free so the whole community can benefit,” said Amelie Zhao, second-year business economics student and the club’s community outreach chairwoman.

The show also calls upon junior dancers from a program called Families with Children from China, an organization that provides a support network for families who have adopted children from China.

The children have the opportunity to be mentored by club members and eventually join the dancers in their performance.

With “Lotus Steps” in its 13th year of production, Cao said this show will highlight more of an evolution from past shows, infusing contemporary twists to traditional elements of Chinese dance.

“The show will be different from the years before. It’s definitely taken a lot more of a contemporary and modern approach,” Cao said. “That said, there’s still a lot of variety and culture in it and it’ll be more fun and definitely have a lot more personality in it. It’s going to be different, but in a better way.”