The area backstage at the Union Theater was buzzing with sounds of English and Chinese on Saturday night as performers adjusted brightly colored costumes, applied layers of makeup and organized props — some while swinging four feet of hair.
Chinese Culture Night, presented by Yang Guang Chinese Dance Troupe and sponsored by LSU Chinese Students and Scholars Association, included performances of dance, music and martial arts.
Li Li, vice president of the Yang Guang Chinese Dance Troupe and University kinesiology professor of biomechanics, said the Yang Guang troupe organized the last Chinese Culture Night in 2009 at BREC’s Independence Park.
“With this event, actually one of the themes we’re trying to achieve is the diversity of the Chinese culture,” Li said. “Not only do we present different groups in China, we present a diverse time spectrum, with classic ethnic and modern performances. We cross the different ethnic groups, time periods and backgrounds of the Chinese people.”
Guiyuan “Gwen” Wang, president of Yang Guang, explained the dancing represented two major groups, one classical and comparable to ballet, and one ethnic and representing various folk ethnicities in China.
“The dance group has been growing bigger and bigger,” Wang said. “We have students, professionals and homemakers. Basically it’s everybody from all different backgrounds who love Chinese culture and want to express that love through dancing.”
Wang said the troupe started in 2005 as a group of three or four people who gathered regularly to dance and exercise while expressing cultural identity. The troupe has grown to include about 30 performers presently, many of them University students.
Xiaoyu Cai, treasurer of LCSSA and mechanical engineering doctoral student, said it’s becoming increasingly important for Americans to understand Chinese culture.
“Lots of Chinese students come to America, and some of them will stay in the U.S. to work,” Cai said. “So it is very important for Americans to understand the culture of China.”
Maida Owens, director of the Louisiana folklife program of the Louisiana Division of the Arts, said the Yang Guang Dance Troupe received a grant last year to help them get organized and improve the quality of production.
“They’ve trained with a dance master in Houston,” Owens said. “They bring such rich cultural traditions and art forms that will help diversify the city. They have been very well received, and the media has responded nicely.”
Lu Lu, chemistry graduate student, said she and several of her friends are performers in the troupe.
“It was great because it’s all about China, and it is a country with a different culture,” Lu said. “It’s interesting. You can watch and relax and get to know more about the world.”
Li said the presence of Chinese people in the Baton Rouge community is increasing.
“Right now we have two Chinese schools, one Chinese church, and at LSU we have about 500 Chinese students and about 100 Chinese professors,” Li said. “I would say it is encouraging to see more and more diverse culture performances in the region. Everyone needs to pitch in to make sure all cultures of all regions of the world understand each other.”
 
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