Performers:

Master Jiang Yanling

Madam Jiang Yanling is a talented and well respected Peking opera artist specializing in Dao Ma Dan (the female warrior) roles. She was professionally trained at the renowned Jiangsu Province’s Peking Opera Academy for 7 years at an early age and was immediately recruited to be a principle actress with the Jiangsu Province’s Peking Opera Company. Over the years, she has won numerous prestigious awards in China for her various leading roles in repertoires such as Hongxian Stealing Box and Presenting Pearl at the Rainbow Bridge. Madam Jiang has toured extensively in China and performed internationally in both Austria and Canada. Some of her signature repertoires include: Warrior Wu, Stealing the Magic Herb, and Mulan. She is currently teaching at the Jiangsu Province’s Peking Opera Academy, training a new generation of professional Peking opera stars.

Master Sun Yuanchen

Mr. Sun Yuanchen began his professional training in Peking opera in 1956. He studied at the renowned Peking Opera Academy in Beijing specializing in the role of Xiao Sheng (young male) role for 9 years. Mr. Sun has also won many prestigious awards in China for his principle roles in repertoires such as Legendary White Snake, Emperor Wood and Hero’s Club and has received both critical and audience acclaim for his dynamic performances. From 1982-1987, Mr. Sun has began teaching in addition to his performance engagements. He has performed extensively in China and now served as the principal and teacher of the well known Heibei Peking Opera School. This is the first time Mr. Sun has performed in Canada.

Mr. William Lau   Founder of Little Pear Garden Collective

Mr. William Lau A graduate from York University’s Master of Fine Arts program in dance in 1991, William specializes in the arts of Nan Dan (male playing female role in the Peking Opera). He had developed and promoted the richness of Chinese dance and opera to a wide range of audiences nationally and internationally including USA, UK, China, Mexico, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Indonesia. William had also bridged Chinese performing arts to the mainstream communities by conducting workshops and lectures at various educational and cultural institutions. He had also pushed the boundaries of traditional arts practices by collaborating with professional artists of different artistic disciplines and diverse cultural backgrounds. His professional experience includes artist, arts administration, producer, researcher, and arts advocate.

Emily Cheung   Artistic Director of Little Pear Garden Collective

Emily Cheung has been involved with Little Pear Garden Collective for almost 8 years. She recently became the Artistic Director and began to transform and expand the company rapidly. She received her B.F.A., B.Ed. and M.A. from York University and now she is an active performer, educator and choreographer. She has choreographed several Chinese traditional works including Three Muses of Dun Huang, Lantern Dance and Legendary Warrior. Her recent contemporary works titled Within… is a first Sino-Indo collaboration with Hari Krishnan. It successfully combined contemporary, traditional Indian and Dun Huang dance vocabularies. Another collaboration with Gary De Matas titled The Phantom Rose was premiered at the Distillery’s Nuit Blanche in 2007. Emily is now pursuing a new collaboration with various artists in different fields to create a new and exciting work based on the book Salt Fish Girl by Canadian author Larissa Lai. Emily also performed world-wide including USA, India, Hong Kong and China.

Annie Cassar

Born in Kingston, Ontario, Annie received her dance training there before moving to Toronto. She holds a B.F.A in Dance (Specialized Honours) from York University and is an Associate member in the B.A.T.D syllabus with teaching certificates in Jazz, Ballet and Stage. Annie recently performed pieces in Little Pear Garden Collective's Phantom Rose and Toronto's Harbourfront Centre's Dim Sum and World Rhythms Festivals. She choreographed and performed in Toronto's Nuit Blanche 2007. Other performances include pieces in York's Fine Art Festivals and York Dances 04-06. She has had the privilege to work with artists such as Emily Cheung, Danny Grossman, Gary De Matas and Rina Singha. This is her second season with the LPGC!

Aries Cheung

Aries Cheung had modern dance training from Toronto Dance Theatre and York University, and training in theatrical choreography, acting and cultural dance with various dance and theatre companies in Toronto. He has performed at various dance, theatre and multi-disciplinary productions: including Wu Ming Dance Project, Menaka Thakkar Dance Company (in collaborating with Danny Grossman Dance Company, Ballet Creole, and Ballet Jörgen Canada), Toronto Chinese Dance Academy, Canadian Chinese Folk Dance Institute, Chi-Ping Dance Company and Pinoy sa Canada. This is his debut in Peking Opera. He thanks Katherine Duncanson for the wonderful voice classes.

Brigitte Tsang

Brigitte began her dance training in Hong Kong, where she danced in the production of The Pied Piper with the magician and children's entertainer, Harry Wong. After moving to Canada at a young age, her movement vocabulary broadened to include: ballet, jazz, modern, and contact improvisation. In 2004, Brigitte was accepted into York University's dance program. Since then she has had many performance opportunities, including: York Dances 2005 - 2007, Dance Innovations 2005, and Project Dance 2007 (New York City).
Brigitte is in her first year with the Little Pear Garden Collective, and will be completing her dance studies at York this year.

Carmen Chu

Carman graduate from York University specialized in marketing. She started dancing in early life and her passion in dance continued as part of her journey. She is a qualified Chinese dance teacher and achieved her certificate from the Beijing Dance Academy. She is mesmerized by the beauty and elegance of the traditional Chinese dance styles. She has performed for several other community institutions and gained many wonderful experiences performing.

Cindy Meng

Cindy Meng started dancing since 5. She graduated from Beijing Dance Academy and danced for Central National Song-and-Dance troupe for 5 years. In 2003, she had achieved bachelor's degree in costume and design in Zhengzhou. Cindy performed in numerous events and was casted in a number of dance movies in China.

Jeffrey Chan   Jeffrey Chan, Choreographer

Founder of the Wu Ming Dance Project, Chan is actively involved in Toronto's dance community. Major credits include choreography and production of "Eight Tones," "Converging Streams -- Haiku," and "Nanking Monologue." Chan has just returned from Beijing, China, where he completed advance study of Chinese folk dances through the support of a Chalmers' Professional Development Grant from the Ontario Arts Council.

 

Kenneth Cheung

Kenneth is a Software Engineer, and acquired his M.Sc. from University of Toronto , Hon. B.Sc. and B.C.S. from University of Windsor . He starts his dance training in Hong Kong since his childhood and gained certificate with Royal Academy of Dance. He is an experienced performer and has performed in ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz. In 2003, he expands his interest in Chinese Dance and participated in performances such as Long Fan, Xinjiang, and Mongolia.

Minh Ta

Mr. Ta was born in Vietnam and has been interested in Chinese opera since childhood. He has studied Cantonese Opera in Toronto since 1994. He specializes in the Xiao-Sheng roles (young male) and has performed in numerous Chinese community events. In 1998, he began his involvement in the Peking Opera. His debut performance was in Beauty Defies Tyranny where he played the witty mute maid Ya Nu, a Hua-Dan (female) role. Besides Hua-Dan roles, he also played Lao-Dan (Old female) roles in the past 10 years.