Jin Qiu Yue, a Chinese dancer and performer, led a Chinese Cultural program presented at St. Bernardine. Chinese classical dance, Chinese folk dance and Tai Chi, an ancient form of exercise, were performed. Ms. Jin was accompanied by Master Guan, a teacher of Tai Chi for many years as well as her apprentice, Sharlin Lau, and other students. Ms. Jin has received Illinois Arts Council Master teacher grants and has been the Illinois Arts Council fellowship award finalist.
Ms. Jin and her dancers performed the "Backhanded Pipa," a dance which was inspired by an ancient cave-painting in Dunhuang, China. The painting portrays girls playing a Chinese stringed instrument called the pipa. They also did a Handkerchief Dance, a folk dance from Szechuan Province. Ms. Jin performed a solo dance from the "Butterfly Lovers," a well known Classical Chinese dance, taken from a Chinese story of star-crossed lovers.
