Born, raised, and educated in Taiwan until age 19, I continued my development as an artist through higher education in the United States. I speak Mandarin, Taiwanese and English, and my body speaks classical Chinese Opera dance tradition, Japanese Butoh, Euro-American modern dance, American jazz, and Argentine tango. Because my life experience merges my Chinese cultural heritage with my life in America, I have developed a unique philosophy and aesthetics in multiculturalism to bring to my teaching, what I consider a supreme form of creativity. The art of dance works with the noble instrument/the knowing body, an imprint of one’s personal history including cultural background, family influence, social conditionings and unique individuality. This rich fabric of material that each student brings to the classroom offers fertile ground for creativity and learning. With respect and an open mind, I facilitate students to explore their unbounded creative force in dance and music and their authentic Self. To teach the art of dance is to liberate mind and body so students can engage and share all that they are with the world through their performance.

With scientifically sounded approach, Ting-Yu Chen modern dance technique is a combination of rigorous technical training for contemporary aesthetics with musicality and performance study through self-discovery. I encourage dancers to engage and perform from the body, mind, and spirit. It is rigorous yet with consideration of safety, it is fast paced yet mindful. Since its conception and throughout the development, Ting-Yu Chen modern dance technique is greatly influenced by cross-cultural teaching and learning phenomenon. It is an eclectic style that blends the east and the west in both the movement vocabulary and the delivering of my teaching.

As a dance composition teacher, I place great importance in mastering choreographic craftsmanship in structure, a strong foundation that may seem restricting yet only to set free creativity and imagination. In addition to mastering choreographic tools, I urge students to create dances with artistic conscience that communicates and evocates universal human concerns of today. Dance that speaks universal language with the human body, mind and soul when carrying meaningful subjectivity and delivered in mature artistic vision has great power to bridge emerging social, economical and religious divides. Helping students to discover authenticity in their work as dancers and choreographers is a challenge I love, and I do this by inviting them to question themselves where all the conditionings end and the self begins. I think of my classroom being a nurturing at the same time electrifying environment where cultural and personal exchange, self-discovery, pursue for excellence, and a greater concern for the world can occur.

It is an ancient Chinese teaching philosophy to think that “The content a teacher teaches is important, but the teacher as a role model is where both teaching and learning begin.” I take my role as a teacher very seriously, because the influence I have on students, spoken or non-spoken, takes place at every interaction. I live for discoveries that challenges and enriches me artistically and intellectually. I invite my students to acquire knowledge and discipline, and enter into the world of unbounded creative energy with curiosity and imagination. We meet where arts await to be born.

I see pursuing excellence a healthy state of being, and I ask the same of my students.