ChingChi Yu

Born and raised in Taiwan, ChingChi was in LanLing Theater, a leader in the modern theater movement in Taiwan, for seven years before relocating to California in 1986. She discovered her passion for choreography while studied at UC Berkeley. Upon graduating, she joined Asian American Dance Performances as a resident choreographer.  

ChingChi has danced in works by many Bay Area choreographers, most recently with Liv Schafer of Dance Generators and Eric Garcia of Detour Productions. She is a founding member of Dandelion Dance Theater. In 2023, ChingChi joined Dance Generators, an intergenerational dance company with members ranging in age from 18 to 92.  

ChingChi’s choreography has been presented throughout the Bay Area. Her work is theatrical, with an emotional component. Her theater experience greatly influenced her choreography, which utilizes theatrical imagery, whole body expression, and intriguing character interactions to express a wide range of emotions and human experience.  

ChingChi enjoys teaching. She has taught Creative Movement to children ages 3–4 and 5–7, Improvisation to youth ages 8–11, and Contemporary Dance to students ages 8–18. She has also taught Contemporary and Choreography to adults and offers free Community Wellness Dance Classes to the public. ChingChi loves sharing the joy of dance and finds deep fulfillment in connecting with people of all ages through movement. 

ChingChi is very proud of herself that at age 64, she is still dancing vigorously and making dances. “Dance is a catalyst for life. I connect my body, mind, and emotions through dance. It is THE tool I use to express myself, to explore, to understand the world, to share, and to connect with people. Dance is life!"

Awards: City of Berkeley Individual Artist Grant (2020-2021, 2024-2025) and Shawl Anderson Artist in Residence Frank Shawl Residency.  

IG: @Chingchi_Yu