ABOUT / MISSION & HISTORY

Mission

Yin He Dance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dance organization rooted in Chicago's Chinese American community. We create space for belonging, discovery, and genuine self-expression. Our goal is to contribute to and empower our community through art.

Our main programs are:

Yin He Dance Company presents folkloric, classical, and contemporary Chinese dance. The company bridges east and west, past and present via repertory works passed down by master teachers as well as new works, especially those by members of the Chinese diaspora.

Yin He Dance Center is a haven for movers of all styles, backgrounds, and experience levels. The dance classes we offer reflect our heritage and diversity. Resident artists use our space to rehearse, create, and participate in our creative community.

Through these programs, we hope to build new avenues of cultural dialogue and most importantly, share the joy of dance with all communities.

Origins

In 2011, Dollie Diaz, Angela Tam, and Amy Xie met as members of Chinese dance teacher Qiuyue Jin’s Xiao Xing Xing/Little Star Dance Troupe, a pre-professional performing group. Over the years, they continued to come together over their love for Chinese dance and eventually formed Yin He Dance in 2015. Yin He (银河) means Milky Way in Chinese.