DEAR FRIENDS,

Wishing you a very happy new year of the horse! 2013 was an explosive year for Lenora Lee Dance (LLD) with new commissioned performance works, dance film premieres, and creative engagement programs for youth and college students. Thanks to your generosity, LLD has reached over 11,000 people, collaborated with over 30 artists, and produced new large-scale performance works every year for the last 6 years with increasing visibility and relevance within the arts, Asian American and human rights communities.

In May we will be flying our cast of 9 out to perform in the NYC premiere of The Escape and Rescued Memories: NY Stories, which excavate the lives of early 20th century Chinese women migrants through dance, martial arts, film, text and music. The Escape is inspired by women who sought refuge from exploitation in San Francisco at Donaldina Cameron House. Rescued Memories: NY Stories retraces the life of Bessie M. Lee (b. 1894), who spent two years in indentured servitude after migrating to New York City. These pieces were commissioned and performed at the de Young Museum in 2013 and will premiere in New York City this May 8th & 9th, at Asia Society, co-presented by the Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University.

In addition to taking these performance works on tour, we will shoot more film footage, edit & premiere our 3rd film, based on Rescued Memories: NY Stories. And this coming September 26 – October 5th, we bring to you our 7th Annual Home Season performances at Dance Mission Theater, which will feature new & older works, expanding our season to a 2-week run from our previous 1-week set of fall performances.

With this growth we are taking on new and significantly greater financial challenges. YOU CAN BE PART OF THE TEAM BY HELPING US TO RAISE $10,000 IN 30 DAYS! 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW 

Audiences have been deeply touched by both of these performance pieces. Please consider deepening your impact by increasing your contribution this year. Your gifts are instrumental in the vitality of this work.

A huge thanks to those who have donated this year so far!

Lenora

P.S. Please help spread the word! http://igg.me/p/710739/x/6659452  

For information about the 5/8-5/9 NYC performances, click here

Lenora Lee will be giving  the following presentations and workshops:

– Monday, March 24th, 7-9pm – New York University

– Tuesday, March 25th, 2:15-3:35pm – Rutgers University, New Jersey

– Wednesday, April 2nd – University of Wisconsin, Madison

For more information, please contact Lenora@asianimprov.org

We are deeply grateful for all of the generosity and support from the following individuals and organizations in 2014!

Alson & JoAnn Lee, Carl & Jackie Jew, Catherine Hung, Chiayi Seetoo, Clinton Huey, Connie Young Yu, Cynthia Joe, David Dea, Derek Lang, Diane Ngo, Dora Ng, Douglas Hirai, Edward Kam, Evelyn Huang, Felicia Lowe, Francis Wong, Fred & Carolyn Hee, Genevieve Chan, Gunthilde & Lew Perin, Heidi & Anthony Wong, Isaac Kong, Jean Liu & Terry Chea, Jean & Dick Lym, Jeanette & Low Chan, Jeanne & Winchell Quock, Jennifer & Steve Gillette, Jill Shiraki & Wilbur Obata, Joan & George Louie, Joel Wanek, John Jung, John Seto, Joyce Ashizawa-Yee & Bradley Yee, Judith Wing, Judy & Clinton Gee, Keith Jew & Pamela Jang, Kenneth Lee, Kimberly Elliot, Larissa Fong, Larry Lee, Laura Hays, Leonard & Christina Lew, Leslie & Bob Chan, Lianne & Terrence Leong, Linda Lee & Harry Chuck, Linus Enriquez, Loretta Holscher, Louisa & Arthur Chin, Lynn Huang, Marina Fukushima, Mark Chung, Mary Wong Leong & Dayton Leong, May & Lawrence Lui, Melody Takata & Genryu Arts, Michael Holscher, Michael Takada, Morrie Warshawski, Olivia Ting, Patricia Chan, Phyllis Tom, Presbyterian Church in Chinatown, Raymond Fong & Enshin Karate San Mateo Dojo, Roberta Lee Kelly, Ruth Wu, Sandra Lee, Sandy Yuen, Stephen Rosen, Stuart Nakanishi, Susie Wong & Scott Barlow, Teddy Yoshikami, Thompson Lee, Tongjia Wang, Victor Joe, Wei-Shan Lai, Wendy & Michael Wong, Winnie & Jenson Lee, Yoonmi Choi, Annonymous Donors

Asian Improv aRts, API Cultural Center, API Legal Outreach, Asian/Pacific/American Institute at New York University, Asian Women Giving Circle, Asian Women United of Minnesota, California Arts Council, Chinese Historical Society of America, Donaldina Cameron House, New York Asian Women’s Center, Puffin Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, Zellerbach Family Foundation

Lenora Lee Dance participates in Help Desk®, a Pentacle program providing infrastructure mentoring and support. (www.pentacle.org).
New Stages for Dance II is administered by Dance/USA in partnership with Dancers’ Group. Leadership Support for the New Stages for Dance II Initiative is provided by MetLife Foundation.

Photo of dancer Wei-Shan Lai, by Keira Heu-Jwyn Chang