Dressed in brilliant red, sophomore Kristina Meier leapt into an aerial, the fabric of her costume billowing around her during her solo performance, “Moonlight Valentine.” The Chinese dance, which earned her seventh place in the Showstopper regional dance competition in San Mateo last year, told one of many stories of Chinese culture.
Meier began learning traditional Chinese dance when she was 8 years old. Although Meier had already trained in American dance for four years, Meier’s mother wanted her to try something new and sent Meier to a Chinese studio, Silicon Valley Dance Academy.
Having learned dance for 11 years, Meier regularly participates in a variety of regional and national competitions, like the Kids Artistic Revenue (KAR) competition and the In10sity Dance competition. Last year, she even traveled to San Francisco for the international Star USA competition, placing third in her age group. For Chinese New Year, Meier also performed in a theater in San Francisco, which was broadcast in China.
Still, for her accomplishing these feats was no walk in the park. Meier, who estimates that she trains for two to three hours most days, said she has encountered several physical and mental roadblocks throughout her dance career. Because many Chinese dance techniques require immense flexibility, Meier said it took her several years to develop her flexibility, a skill that she is still honing.
Aside from this physical challenge, Meier added that she began losing interest in dance last year because she felt like her mother pushed her too hard. Dance became a source of stress rather than a means of relieving it.
“It frustrated me because I felt like I was dancing for her and for not myself,” Meier said. “But I got over it by learning new techniques and working on expanding my creativity with dance, not just trying to do moves perfectly.”
Despite these challenges, Meier said she sees value in learning traditional Chinese dance. Because China contains 55 minority ethnic groups, each with a different form of classical dance, learning each unique style of dance provides Meier with opportunities to expand both her dance skills and knowledge of Chinese culture.
For example, traditional Han-Tang dances typically involve graceful movements with long, flowing sleeves. On the other hand, Mongolian dances often have a more masculine twist and include movements that resemble galloping, an allusion to the Mongols’ affinity for using horses in daily life and warfare.
“Doing Chinese dance really helps me learn about different Chinese customs and traditions,” Meier said. “Each dance has a different story, and it’s cool to be able to tell a story or a Chinese myth through dance.”
“Moonlight Valentine” told the tragic love story of a fox goddess who fell in love with an immortal man. Bringing these stories to life gives Meier room for creative expression while uniting her with Chinese culture, she said.
“Dancing helps me connect to my Chinese culture because classical Chinese dancing goes back to ancient times,” Meier said. “Being able to learn these types of traditional dances in a way helps me learn the history behind each of them and gives me a better understanding of Chinese culture.”