INTERVIEW WITH CHOREOGRAPHER QIANPENG JING

 

Qianpeng Jing is the recipient of the dance and drama scholarship. She is from Xi'an, China, and moved to Austin 4 years ago. Her favorite color is pink and she loves Jazz, R&B, and hip hop music. She is interested in all Quentin Tarantino movies. Her dance style has been greatly influenced by Chinese traditional dance. Jing titled her dance on film,  Reflections of You. The inspiration to choreograph this piece came from her feelings of missing home. During this Pandemic year, she has sometimes felt helpless and lonely living so far away from her family. Her storyline for her dance film is divided into three parts. The first part is based upon the feelings of loneliness and helplessness; the second part is Jing’s memories of her Chinese cultural style of dance, and the third part is finding hope and a way to share and enjoy the art of dance with her family. She is so grateful for her current learning experience. She hopes that her dance film will remind the audience to feel grateful for every minute they spend with their loved ones. Jing says, “Cherish every moment that you have with your family.  Love them, kiss them, and hug them.  And if you are apart from your family try to find a way to connect with them”. JIng feels we should always fight for love, health, and happiness.

Choreographing this dance on film during the Pandemic was a special and uncommon experience because she created all her choreography in her bedroom, living room, and yard. She missed having access to the ACC dance studio, but dancing at home was different and became fun. Jing filmed her piece at the LBJ Farm. There weren't any visitors around when she filmed it so she felt safe. The biggest challenge for her was dancing on the grass. It was difficult at the beginning but as she became more comfortable with the grass she enjoyed the process.

Watch Jing’s dance on film, Reflections of You, December 4 & 5 at 7:30 pm. Visit the  Austin Community College Dance Department page for tickets and live streaming information. 100% of contributions fund dance student scholarships.