Music and Dance of NYU Shanghai

May 6 2016

Sword dancing, piano solos, and traditional Chinese instruments and songs were among the highlights of the performing arts classes' end of semester show celebrating music and dance at NYU Shanghai.

The evening kicked off with a series of powerful dance performances by students of Professor Aly Rose’s Choreography & Performance and Dance Class that demonstrated their strength and versatility as a group and in pairs. 

The romance of “Sakura” (choreographed and performed by Bai Yue and Jay Park), and the chaotically beautiful “1980” (choreographed and performed by Yi Yin and Mary Kate How Fee Koy) captivated the audience.

Turning to tradition, students from Chinese Cultural Classes performed arrangements on bamboo flutes and erhu, a two-stringed fiddle played in China for more than a thousand years. They were followed by performances by instructors Lingjian Ouyang and Yonghe Tang who demonstrated their mastery of these instruments, transporting the audience to ancient times.


Meanwhile in the auditorium, faculty, students and staff settled in their seats for a series of piano solos, including Erik Satie’s “Gymnopedie No. 1”, “Ping Hu Qiu Yue,” by Chen Pei Xun and Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” performed with gusto by Stig Gilbert and Yimin Wang.

Closing the evening in an acoustic style was the NYU Shanghai Chorale --conducted by Professor Dianna Heldman. Channeling the river, the road and the rain throughout their performance, they swept the audience away with a bilingual grand finale of “Unity” in both English and Mandarin.
 

Behold how good and how pleasant it is
for all of us to stand together in harmony
for all of us to sing together in unity.
是谁呼唤这美丽的回忆 跨千山跃万水 我们永远不分离
 

Music and Dance at NYU Shanghai

The showcase was a collaboration between Choreography & Performance, Dance, Chinese Cultural Class, Solo Piano Studies and the NYU Shanghai Chorale.
 
You can find out more about these classes in the Academic Bulletin and on Albert, NYU's Student Information System.
 
Dance - ART-SHU 225A - 2 points / ART-SHU 225B - 4 points
Students enrolling for 2 credits fulfill just the dance requirement. For the 4-credit section, quizzes on the cultural and historical material covered as well as the dance portion are required. All levels are welcome. No previous experience is required.

Choreography & Performance - ART-SHU 239.2 - 2 points / ART-SHU 239.4  - 4 points
Students gain an appreciation and knowledge of team building skills, collaboration, and the creative process through movement exploration, choreography and performance. For the  4-credit version of this course, students are required to complete assignments from The Creative Habit textbook, outside reading and two short essays.