Lenora Lee Dance comes to Chinatown
Pao Arts Center is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a multimedia performance, “Convergent Waves: Boston.” The event, choreographed by Lenora Lee, in collaboration with performers, “celebrates the contributions of activists and non-profit leaders, and reclaims space by eliciting stories of community agency, resilience, and transformation. Inspired by rich narrative, this work represents a powerful call for community-oriented development in the face of rapid change, making a collective statement for the preservation of community as neighborhoods across the country inhabited for generations face cultural erosion, loss of businesses, and displacement through gentrification.” The show will take place from April 21-23 and will be held at the Pao Arts Center in Boston’s Chinatown.
Lee commented on the production,
“We are excited to bring Lenora Lee Dance to Boston for the first time to create and premiere this new work, and more importantly connect the stories of Boston to those across the country. My priority as an artist has always been to connect deeply with audiences, and consider how we can uncover layers of experiences through dance, music, film, installation, research and interviews integrated and grounded in community and place-based work.”
Pao Arts Center director Cynthia Woo shared,
“Especially in times of increased anti-Asian sentiment, it is critical for us to leverage artistic and creative work to shed light to our stories in both a local and national context and to provide a face and voice to these experiences.”
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.