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Home Ballet Magazine Opinions

Dealing with Chinese Stereotypes in Ballet

Cherilyn J. LeebyCherilyn J. Lee
January 28, 2021 - Updated on March 7, 2024
in Opinions
Reading Time: 4 mins read
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Chinese Stereotypes in Ballet

Chinese Stereotypes in Ballet

Originally published November 2018

It’s that time of the year when we start hearing Tchaikovsky’s music from The Nutcracker everywhere we go – in restaurants, in shops, and of course at the theatre. This holiday classic is ubiquitous during the Christmas season so much so that even those who are not frequenters of the ballet are familiar with the tunes.

Most can identify the more cultural musical references that appear in the second act divertissements often reflecting Spanish, Arabian, Russian, and Chinese stereotypes and perceptions even if perhaps not everyone knows that the waltzes they are hearing are associated with flurries of snow and fields of flowers.

As a Chinese American who has been a member of the ballet community for the majority of her life – student, professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, owner of a studio – I have always felt particularly sensitive about the Chinese stereotypes presented in The Nutcracker. And apparently I am not alone.

In fact, New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin and Phil Chan, an arts administrator and former dancer, are encouraging a social and artistic movement revolving around the issues related to the portrayal of Chinese culture on the ballet stage.

Reading more about the “Final Bow for Yellowface” pledge is what inspired me to write this story; the courage and eloquence with which they present what is sensitive matter (many conversations of this nature tend to be) has helped me realize more clearly why I have been uncomfortable with the “Chinese” dance in The Nutcracker for all these years.

I learned that there is discussion to be had in order to inform people the difference between character and caricature – the first can be used to describe cultural features of an individual, a group, or an entire civilization while the latter is an exaggeration of (often) physical features usually in an effort to create a comedic effect.

Therefore, when one uses make-up to paint the face yellow or create an almond-shaped, upward slanting eye shape, this is creating a caricature of a Chinese person rather than sharing anything substantial about the person. So imagine the confusion this caused my newly-hired 17 year-old self when I was cast in “Chinese” and wondered if I, too, needed to do any extra eye make-up as the rest of the cast did. Did I need to make myself more “Chinese”?

I can now acknowledge that I felt a sense of shame about the way I looked due to my ancestry and am angry that I was in a situation that provoked it.

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Bringing Chinese stereotypes to forefront of conversation

The homepage of the yellowface.org site proudly lists leaders in the dance world as well as those in the broader field of the arts who have already signed the pledge to

“love ballet as an art form, and acknowledge that to achieve a diversity amongst our artists, audiences, donors, students, volunteers, and staff, I am committed to eliminating outdated and offensive stereotypes of Asians (Yellowface) on our stages.”

At first I thought, “How wonderful!”; but my opinion changed when I counted less than two dozen names. To be fair, I suppose that Pazcoguin and Chan vet all the signatures and then determine who are to be considered “leaders”, but it’s still disappointing to think that there aren’t more influential folks who have wanted to associate their names with this effort.*

I find the quote by Ballet West‘s Artistic Director to be the most poignant and appreciate the fact that he felt so strongly as to view Willam Christensen’s choreography for “Chinese” insulting. In replacing the original choreography with that of Lew Christensen’s version, he expresses that “Hopefully what we have now is a much greater celebration of Chinese culture than the mockery it used to be.” This is definitely a step in the right direction to address the Chinese stereotypes often displayed.

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Teaching the next generation about Chinese stereotypes

Every season teaching The Nutcracker to my students, I dreaded having to set the “Chinese” variation. Demonstrating the subservient bowing of the upper body and head while shuffling with index fingers pointing upward filled me with shame and embarrassment.

Of course the dancers knew that I, personally, didn’t carry myself in that manner, but was I inadvertently teaching them that this was the way of my ancestors? (For the record, my great grandparents walked with their chins up, shoulders down, and took strides with one foot in front of the other with their arms swinging at their sides.)

It is now more important than ever to maintain that balance of honoring history and tradition while evolving and moving forward as a human race. Dancers have a unique voice; we have the power to tell a story through movement and with that comes a responsibility to tell an accurate one.

As a community we have made many headlines over the past few years regarding the significance of diversity in the classroom and on stage. We are making an effort to broaden the definition of “ballet dancer” so that the current and future generations feel no fear to dream as big as they can. We must each continue to use our voice to create more understanding in this beautiful mosaic we live in. 

*Be assured that I, too, have pledged; thus this endeavor to spread the word by sharing a bit of my story with you.

Featured Photo for Chinese Stereotypes in Ballet of Cherilyn J. Lee by The Ballet Herald

Tags: The Nutcracker
Cherilyn J. Lee

Cherilyn J. Lee

Cherilyn's lifelong passion for ballet has opened the door to the next chapter of her journey. Her strong foundation includes training at the School of American Ballet, being a featured dancer with Hartford Ballet and Carolina Ballet, and being co-director/owner of City Ballet Raleigh. She was granted the Affiliate Teacher Award after successfully completing the ABT National Training Curriculum®. A professional career in the industry along with extensive global travel provide her with a unique set of experiences to draw upon as a journalist and audience member. Cherilyn is excited to be sharing her insight and news about ballet around the world.

Comments 2

  1. Michele Semler says:
    4 years ago

    Would love to know what you are up to now!
    Excellent article. Gorgeous picture!

    Reply
  2. Jennifer McKendry says:
    4 years ago

    Dance is art, and should be appreciated as just that. When people start critiquing aspects such as racial appearances, it is no longer art. I cringed at ballet dancers who have skeletal arms and legs; that is not art in any aspect. I have watched you perform in so many (not all…sorry!) roles and never viewed you as a “Chinese” dancer. Even in Goh’s Unknown Territory where you are the Asian bride, I was so proud of you dancing amazingly and looking ever so beautiful…as a dancer, not as a Chinese dancer dancing an Asian role. Then, there is my favorite, Rubies in Balanchine’s Jewels; were you, a Chinese, supposed to be “flashy, sexy, and fun?” All I can say is that we should view dance as artful entertainment. It might be too simplistic for those that choose to seek out any possible social or political injustices; leave that for more appropriate platforms. For ballet lovers, sit back and enjoy the performance, and hopefully, the last only on your mind is “Wow…what a beautiful performance!” That was my thought after seeing my daughter’s performances in the above-mentioned ballets.

    Reply

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