Lin Xiangxiu returns to the Bay Area and the audience applauds non-stop for his new dance performance

Lin Xiangxi, a prominent Taiwanese contemporary dancer, drew inspiration from the impacts and hopes born during the pandemic to create her latest modern dance piece, “RISING III.” The performance took place at the San Jose California Theatre on October 11 and 12, featuring the talented 17-year-old Korean-American dancer Jinny Cha, who received a standing ovation from the audience at the end of the show.

After a year-long absence from the Bay Area, Lin returned to showcase “RISING III” as part of sjDANCEco’s program “Elevate.” She remarked, “Seeing so many people stand and applaud during the curtain call really made me feel the warmth and resonance of the Bay Area audience with the performance.”

Lin explained that the dance company had only been formed two years prior. The pandemic caused many dancers to leave the Bay Area for various reasons, but the current group was able to reassemble and rehearse, with some coming in from New York and Oakland. She expressed her amazement at the high level of performance and the maturity and stability of the dancers, despite the group’s relatively short time together.

For “RISING III,” Lin spent most of her time in Taiwan, which meant rehearsals were largely conducted via video and virtual adjustments. She arrived in the Bay Area just a week before the show to oversee the final rehearsals. Maria Basile, the artistic director of sjDANCEco, played a crucial role in helping Lin overcome the challenges of distance, facilitating a smooth rehearsal process for the company.

In the performance, as dancers conveyed the struggle against the constraints imposed by the pandemic, Lin encouraged them to express their movements with intensity and fervor. She likened this expression to an exorcism, a desperate attempt to shake off the burden of COVID-19, explaining, “COVID was an abrupt situation that erupted suddenly. The dancers needed to shake off that negativity; the movements had to feel like they were driving away evil.”

Jinny Cha played a pivotal role in “RISING III,” embodying the various challenges faced during the pandemic and ultimately reaching for hope. Elevated high by her fellow dancers, she reached for the sky with her arms, symbolizing the light emerging from darkness. Audiences were stunned by her mature performance, especially considering she is only 17 years old.

Cha, who won the StarQuest World Final Championship at the 2024 National Dance Competition, began studying dance with Lin when she moved to the U.S. in third grade.

Maria Basile, now in her second year as the artistic director of sjDANCEco, expressed her delight in Lin’s return to the Bay Area for this collaborative project. She noted that Lin’s choreography consistently offers dancers a rich diversity of expression, effectively conveying deep emotions with high tension, allowing audiences to easily grasp the intended message.