Works – Chingchi Moves

Gateway to California, by artist Norman Moore

What the….(the ocean in the fish bowl)

Improvisation. Site specific

Performer: Chingchi Yu

Music: Queen

Premiere: September 2021

Celebration of the Gateway to California, Jean Sweeney Park, Alameda, CA

Grove (the stage version)

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Movement collaborators/Dancers: Ann DiFruscia, Carol Kueffer-Moore, Gopika Nia Womack-Freeman, Jessica Fiedler, Josie Alvite

Music: Chris Evans, Nils Frahm

Inspired by nature’s forces, Grove is a dynamic landscape that's constantly forming and changing in terms of shapes, energy, texture, space, and rhythm. The film version premiered in May 2021. For the stage version, the choreographer used some of the same movement material but gave a different choreographic structure and music to create the quintet. It’s a totally different dance than the film version.

Premiere: September 2021

Dance A Rama, Coventry Grove, Kensington, CA

Grove, a dance film

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Movement collaborators/Dancers: Ann DiFruscia, Carol Kueffer-Moore, Gopika Nia Womack-Freeman, Jessica Fiedler, Josie Alvite, Julia Sweeney, Lisa Tenorio

Commissioned music 1: Chris Evans

Commissioned music 2: Sky Tan

Inspired by nature’s forces, Grove is a dynamic landscape that's constantly forming and changing in terms of shapes, energy, texture, space, and rhythm.

Premiere: May 2021

Film Screenings on Zoom

Snippets:

Grove Cala Lily: https://vimeo.com/679419658

Grove JJ Duet: https://vimeo.com/679416192

Grove Stomping: https://vimeo.com/679420223

Chingchi Yu and Carol Kuefer-Moore in Veil of Water. Photo credit: Aileen Kim

Veil of Water

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Movement collaborators/Dancers: Carol Kueffer and Chingchi Yu

Music: Nils Frahm, Wim Mertens, Joep Beving

Costume: Siamese Dream

This surreal duet immerses the audience in an underwater world where the characters' paths converge, then drift away. Veil of Water is a quirky, nostalgic dance about finding one's own path within the realization that every moment of life is precious.

Premiere: December 2018

Winter Salon, Shawl Anderson Dance Center, Berkeley CA

Video Links:

Veil of Water-Excerpt: https://vimeo.com/671835466

Tribute to Michelle

Improvisation

Performer: Chingchi Yu

Music: Hans Christian

September 2018

Joaquin Miller Park Community Center, Oakland, CA

Bits

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Andrea Brosnan, Ann DiFruscia, Jessica Fiedler, Neela Reed, and Chingchi Yu

Music: Al Bowlly , Clint Mansell, Michael Andrews

Costume: Siamese Dream

A whimsical, haunting exploration of what it is to see the world and to find one’s place within that world. The work is set on a cast of five veteran dancers, who brings this enchanted, coming-of-age landscape to life.

Premiere: November 2016

Sisters and Druthers, Shawl Anderson Dance Center, Berkeley, CA

Video links:

Bits - Excerpt: https://vimeo.com/679430156

Bits 11/12/16: https://vimeo.com/679012966

Bits 11/13/16: https://vimeo.com/679428198

What the…..

Improvisation

Performer: Chingchi Yu

Music: Queen

Premiere: November 2016

Sisters and Druthers, Shawl Anderson Dance Center, Berkeley, CA

Video Links:

What the....(11/12/16): https://vimeo.com/679010211

What the....(11/13/16): https://vimeo.com/679434391

KISS

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu.

Collaborators/Dancers: Jessica Fiedler and Chingchi Yu

Music: Evan Ziporyn, Meredith Monk

Premiere: 2010

MamaLOVE: Seeds of Winter, Shawl Anderson Dance, Berkeley, CA

Unsealed

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu.

Movement Collaborators/Dancers: Nina Haft and Chingchi Yu

Music: Evan Ziporyn, Meredith Monk

Premiere: 2005

Dance IS Festival, Julia Morgan Theater, Berkeley, CA

Video Link:

Unsealed: https://vimeo.com/658264684

Woop Woop

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Debby Kajiyama, Anna dal Pino, Rebecca Johnson, and Chingchi Yu

A rhythmic, theatrical dance comedy that combines expressive facial expressions, quirky gestures and movements, and galore vocal sounds to create a far away world of human like creatures. Dressed in comical, fluffy lingerie in red and in pink, the 4 characters stomp around in figure 8 with their hips tilting forward, knees bent and palms facing up on their sides. At the end of the walk, they face each other in a circle and yell at each other with nonsense language. The variety of energy displayed, and the unexpectedness of what happens next keep the audience ate edge of their seats, but leaves a warm, upbeat feeling. Woop Woop is a vigorous blend of humor and fantasy.

Premiere: June 2003

Ghost Memories and Other Circumstances, Dance Mission, San Francisco, CA

Dorothy

Choreographer/Dancer: Chingchi Yu.

Premiere: 2003

8x8x8, The Stork Club, Oakland, CA

Quest

Choreographer and Dancer: Chingchi Yu

Music: “Oh, Quand Jedors” by Franz Liszt. Sung by Frederica Von Strade

A quirky, non-literal solo journey, from struggle to reconciliation and acceptance, to Franz Liszt’s opera “Oh, Quand Jedors”.

Premiere: December 2001

The Oakland playhouse, Black Box Theater, Oakland

Pathways

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu.

Movement Collaborators/Dancers: Jolie McRae, Maya Woodson and Chingchi Yu

Music: “Monk With Bell,” Michael Stearns; “African Journey,” Anugama & Sebastiano; “Gota,” from the ancient kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa

A rhythmic, playful trio taking the audience to various, sometimes surreal settings.

Premiere: May 2000

Tradewinds 2000/Unbound Spirit Dance Co. Concert, SOMARTS Cultural Center, SF

Video Link:

Pathways: https://vimeo.com/658468999

Before Dawn

Choreographer and Dancer: Chingchi Yu

Music: Brazilian folk song “Negrume da Noite” sung by Virginia Rodrigues

Danced to a colorful Brazilian folk song, this upbeat solo is about a person’s process of healing, with humor and sensibility.

Premiere: 1999

Unbound Spirit Dance Co. Concert, Theater Ugan, San Francisco, CA

Video Link:

Before Dawn: https://vimeo.com/678942015

Chairland

Choreographers: Anda Abramovici and Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Anda Abramovici, Joan Bruemmer, and Chingchi Yu

Music: Gyorgy Ligeti

This trio involves the imaginative use and constant repositioning of 6 chairs. It experiments

with a sense of insanity, creating a non-literal dance with strong imagery and vivid emotions.

Premiere: July 1999

Summerfest, Cowell Theater, San Francisco, CA

Video Link:

Chairland: https://vimeo.com/658421316

Looking Glass

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Jolie McRae and Chingchi Yu

Music: John Cage

Sound design: Joel Davel

Costume esign and construction: Anda Abramovici

A duet of extreme facial expressions and athletic dancing, expressing the feelings that we all have under a looking glass.

Premiere: 1997

Choreographer’s Showcase, Dancer’s Group Studio Theater/Footwork, San Francisco, CA

Anonymous

Choreographer/Dancer: Chingch Yu

Music: Bobby McFerrin and YoYo Ma

The dance is inspired by the choreographer’s visit to Angel Island. Facial expressions, vocal sounds, expressive movements and voices were intertwined, eliciting various emotional responses from the audience.

Premiere: 1996

Unbound Spirit Dance Co. Concert, Cowell Theater, San Francisco, CA

I Feel That I Know Them Now

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Arnel Alcordo and Chingchi Yu

Commissioned music: Guillermo Galindo

Premiere: September 1995

Randall Museum Theater, San Francisco, CA

Keep Your Mouth Shot

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Samantha Blanchard, Kimiko Guthrie, Nancy Ng

Commissioned score: Mark Fish

Musicians: Jeremy Brooks and Alicia Pate

Premiere: 1994

Altered Tea Leaves/Unbound Spirit Dance Co. Concert, Theater Artaud, San Francisco, CA

Photo credit: Johannes Plenio

Haunted

Choreographer: Chinchi Yu

Dancers: Arnel Alcordo, Samantha Blanchard, Audrey Hughes, Aileen Kim, Junko Sodeyama

Commissioned score: “rrrrr” by Tako Oda

Premiere August 1993

Unbound Spirit Dance Co.Concert, Theater Artaud, San Francisco, CA

Cleopatra, The Musical

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Director: John Fisher

Music Director: Phil Lowery

Premiere: July 1992

Durham Studio Theater UC Berkeley, CA

Yo!

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Harold Sun, Erika Suteinen-Gonzales, T-Bone, Chingchi Yu

Commissioned scored: Mark Fish

Premiere: May 1992

Durham Studio Theater UC Berkeley, CA

Dances With

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Anda Abramovici, Carina Gia Garrero, Tia Hunnicutt, Travis Loller, Rosalva Romo, Sara Schleimer, Leah Turner

Music: Steve Reich

Premiere: November 1991

Room 7 Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, CA

The Battle

Choreographers/Dancers: Jolie McRae, Jessica Stoffers, Maya Woodson, & Chingchi Yu

Commissioned scored: Belinda Reynolds and Laura Carmichael

Premiere: November 1991

Room 7 Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, CA

Violent Harmony

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Anda Abramovici, Karl J. Frost Jr., Sara Schleiner, Elizabeth Solomon, Christe Wootton

Premiere: May 1991

Durham Studio Theater, UC Berkeley, CA

That Staircase!

Site specific

Choreographer: Chingchi Yu

Dancers: Elizabeth Solomon and 2 other beautiful dancers

Commissioned scored: Roberto Andreoni

Premiere: 1991

The outside staircase of the student union, UC Berkeley, CA

What A Life

Choreographer/Dancer: Chingchi Yu

Music: Ignore Stravinsky

Premiere: December 1990

Durham Studio Theater UC Berkeley, CA

Video Link:

What A Life: https://vimeo.com/678944208