Founder of CYDA
Cindy Yang
An artist, dancer, choreographer, and educator
Madam Cindy Yang, winner of the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Dancers Association’s “20th Century Chinese Dance Gold Medal Award”, served as the vice chairman of the Yunnan Branch of the Chinese Dancers Association and the director of the Chinese Minority Dance Society. She was also the chief director of the 1st National Culture and Art Parade and the Chinese Ethnic Apparel and Fashion performance, “The Eastern Rainbow.” As the principal and artistic director of the Cindy Yang Dance Academy of Canada, Madam Cindy Yang was a recipient of the Canadian Outstanding Female award in British Columbia, was selected into the Hall of Fame of the China Patriotic Monument and was included in the history of Dali dance.
Madam Cindy Yang, of Bai nationality, was born in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China. She enrolled in the Dali State Song and Dance Troupe at the age of 15 and starred in “Five Golden Flowers,” which won the Best Film Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1958. After appearing in “Five Golden Flowers,” she transferred to the Yunnan Provincial Song and Dance Troupe and participated in more than 30 dances, such as “Plucking Tea Dance”, “Planting Seedlings,” and the dance drama “Coconut Grove,” flourishing into an excellent young dancer. Furthermore, she participated in the National Day celebration performance held in the Great Hall of the People and received praise from national leaders, including Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai and Vice Premier Chen Yi. She also accompanied a Chinese art delegation led by Premier Zhou Enlai to the three Southeast Asian countries, which featured the General Political Song and Dance Troupe, the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe and the Yunnan Province Song and Dance Troupe.
Her Story
In 1959, an essential chapter in Madam Cindy Yang’s artistic career was participating in the performance of the historic colour film “Five Golden Flowers” and China’s first large-screen film “A Shi Ma.” The captivating dances she choreographed for these historic films, as well as documentaries “Dali Xing,” “Shilin Xing,” and the film “Erhai Love,” have become historically significant in this time period.
After 1970, Madam Cindy Yang transitioned into a successful choreographer and created outstanding dances such as “Silver Bell of Joy”, “Rain,” and “A Shi Ma”, which won numerous competition awards. In 1973, Madam Cindy Yang and Yunnan dance artists Zhou Peiwu and Ma Chaolie jointly held the first special performance of dance artists in Yunnan Province, marking the start of her peak of artistic creation.
In 1975, Madam Cindy Yang was instructed to lead a dance team to the Shanghai Ballet, Beijing Ballet, and the Central Ballet to study ballet dramas “White Hair Girl”, “Yimeng Song”, and “Red Lady Army.” Then, she successfully directed these three signature dance dramas of this time and presented them to the Yunnan stage. This experience as director enriched the artistic qualities of Madam Cindy Yang’s development as a choreographer and also historically promoted the development of dance in Yunnan.
In 1980, the Ministry of Culture and the Dancers Association held the first national dance event after the Cultural Revolution — China’s first dance competition. The Dai solo dance “Water,” choreographed by Madam Cindy Yang, achieved the first prize for choreography, performance and costume and the third prize for music. This dance went on to become a classic of Chinese dance and has since been included in Chinese dance teaching materials and lectures, along with her Ha Ni minority dance, "Silver Bell of Joy."
Madam Cindy Yang was also invited to teach in Beijing and taught “Water” to prominent dancers Chen Ailian and Liu Min. Madam Cindy Yang was therefore awarded the “20th Century Chinese Dance Gold Medal Award” by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Dancers Association and was selected for the Yunnan Cultural Development Achievement Exhibition. Furthermore, many of Madam Cindy Yang’s theses on Bai minority dance have become the teaching standard for Chinese ethnic minority dance.
Since the 1970s, Madam Cindy Yang has been employed as a dance teacher in the Kunming Red Scarf Art Troupe. With her efforts, dance became a medium for children to cultivate their souls, body and mind. In 1985, Madam Cindy Yang led the Kunming Red Scarf Art Troupe to visit the United States and Canada. The children in the troupe, some of whom were as young as 6 years old, became China’s arts and culture ambassadors.
In 1988, Madam Cindy Yang successfully directed the debut of Chinese Ethnic Apparel and Fashion performance coined “The Eastern Rainbow” during the opening ceremony of China’s 2nd Art Festival hosted in Beijing. The inauguration of Ethnic culture set precedence for promoting and disseminating Ethnic performance art.
In 1989, Madam Cindy Yang was invited to Canada for the exchange of national dance art. Her special lectures, such as “Chinese National Dance Art”, and “Chinese National Costume Wearable Art and Dance Art,” enhanced the exchange of Chinese and Canadian dancers and effectively promoted the influence of Chinese dance in Canada. Her work was highly acclaimed by several of British Columbia’s top news outlets.
In 1990, Madam Cindy Yang emigrated to Canada and founded the Cindy Yang Dance Academy in Vancouver. Her goal was to spread Chinese ethnic minority dance and culture while building a cultural bridge between China and Canada. Due to her 29 years of leadership and perseverance, the Cindy Yang Dance Academy has successfully advocated for multiculturalism and conducted cultural exchanges with other ethnicities through the art of dance. Since its inception, the Academy has nurtured and developed hundreds of students who have performed and competed worldwide, spreading Chinese ethnic minority dance and culture. As a form of recognition to her students, Madam Cindy Yang also established scholarships in the Academy to help and encourage students to achieve their goals in Chinese dance. Through Madam Cindy Yang’s meticulous and loving teaching style, students of all ages have fallen in love with Chinese ethnic minority dance as a form of artistic and emotional expression.
Founding a School
Legacy
In both Western and Chinese dance communities, Madam Cindy Yang will forever be a well-respected figure for her passion and devotion to the promotion of Chinese ethnic minority dance. However, beyond dance, she was first and foremost, a teacher who always wanted the best for each and every one of her students. Thus, she will be remembered and respected for the love and care she put into ensuring the success of every former and current student of the Academy.