Xiao Liu (she/her/hers)

Synopsis of Research in Shanghai (January 20 - May 16):

Xiao Liu is a third-year Ph.D. candidate and dance scholar. Her dissertation, titled "Ballroom Dance After Opening Up," explores how ballroom dance in post-socialist China has shaped and influenced the production of subjecthood. A central focus of her research is Lai Lai Dance Hall in Hongkou District, a venue that once served as a shelter for the older gay community in Shanghai. Though the hall has vanished, its legacy remains significant, despite the limited archival material available. Diverse sources that Liu can find in Shanghai will help reconstruct the cultural and social significance of Lai Lai Dance Hall and its role in shaping queer subjectivity in China.