Guided by Philein Wang’s artistic vision, ZiRu Dance has achieved success in its many local and international ventures since its inception in 2007. In addition to creating original dance works, ZiRu Dance has acted as a cultural liaison for collaboration, education, and exchange between the United States and China. In 2014, ZiRu Dance received key support from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to create a series of cultural, artistic, and educational exchanges between American dance artists and Chinese communities. Since then, ZiRu Dance has produced 28 tours across 16 cities in China, including creating 25 new works, commissioning 18 works, facilitating 8 individual dancer exchanges, and sponsoring over 50 dance education and outreach events. Furthermore, in 2012, the company was expressly invited to perform by the Party Secretary of Jilin, China. That same year, ZiRu Dance was honored by dance critic Jim Tobin as the “Best Cross-Cultural Dance Company" at the Live Blessay Awards. Primary Projects: ZiRu Dance aims to make contemporary dance an accessible and enriching experience for the Peninsula and Silicon Valley communities. The company’s primary project is the development of the Silicon Valley Dance Festival™. In 2016, ZiRu Dance hosted the inaugural event, which brought together Bay Area artists and national dance companies for a weekend of dynamic performances. The annual festival’s offerings will expand to include workshops and community events in addition to performances. In May 2020, ZiRu Dance launched Project Dance-OFF (Dance Online Free-For-All) in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Asian-American xenophobia that came along with it. Project Dance-OFF works with over 20 community partners to bring free dance classes to those mentally affected by the impacts of COVID-19 and to those suffering from Systemic Racism and Asian-American xenophobia.
