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Jin Xing, the first openly transgender woman in China, also happens to be a brilliant choreographer
From boyhood as a dance star of the Chinese army, to adulthood as a pop-culture icon, Chinese socialite, and openly transgender woman, Jin Xing is something of a legend. Born male in 1967 and raised in traditional Chinese society, she was a boy with an unearthly talent for dance and the feeling that she was somehow different. Her childhood was spent enduring strict dance training as an entertainer in the People's Army where she was required to train as a soldier but preferred the stage to guns and grenades.
It was when Jin went to New York in the early 90s on a dance scholarship that she was free to explore notions of sexuality and gender identity. At first she questioned whether she was homosexual, but in her heart she felt she should have been born a girl. She knew she was transgender and wanted to undergo gender reassignment surgery. While in the US she became a sought-after dancer, bringing pride and fame to her from her homeland of China.
As a former high-ranking soldier and celebrity, she returned home to China and openly transitioned in a place where LGBTQ issues are barely acknowledged, let alone celebrated. After surgical complications she almost lost the ability to dance but overcame painful physical and cultural challenges with a resiliency that has propelled her to become one of China’s biggest stars, her television show viewed by an estimated 100 million each week. Over the years she has built the kind of barrier-breaking life that proves she sees no limit to what she can accomplish. She is a star of movies and television, a judge on the Chinese version of So You Think You Can Dance, and mother to three adopted children. And through it all she has stayed rooted in contemporary dance.
For over 20 years she has directed her own dance company, Jin Xing Dance Theatre Shanghai. The company is one of the most famous in China, known because of its star Director, but equally recognized for the magic and depth of the dance pieces she creates. Jin Xing carries the struggles and triumphs of her life into the studio with her to create work that reflects often on gender, womanhood specifically, and the role of beauty in society.
For the company’s Israeli debut at the Suzanne Dellal Centre, February 9-11, they will perform two works, Space 9, by Jin Xing, and Cage Birds, by Dutch choreographer Arthur Kuggeleyn. In Space 9, nine women explore femininity using high heels as a symbol of both sexuality and control. For Cage Birds, the dancers employ trance-like repetitive movements to challenge the confines of their space. If the world-class dancing is not tempting enough, an added bonus is that Jin Xing loves to MC her own shows and will make an appearance onstage speaking to the audience. Take a cue from her millions of adoring Chinese fans and flock to see this show.
