SPOTLIGHT: Huaxing Arts Group

by Aaniyah Alexander

Huaxing Arts Group has been a long-time partner of the Asia Society, helping us celebrate the Lunar New Year in style. Read below to learn more about Huaxing's focus in showcasing traditional and contemporary dance forms and how they share a diverse range of Chinese traditions to audiences across Houston.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about Huaxing and what your organization does?

A: Huaxing Arts Group Houston was founded in 2014. It is a civic organization of Chinese Americans in the Greater Houston area. The association has served the greater community through volunteerism and service, as well as promoting Chinese cultural exchange between China and the United States.

Q: What are the values of Huaxing and how do you implement them?

A: To enhance the friendship between ethnic groups, sharing cultural elements of diversity and inclusiveness with all Houstonians. The Huaxing Art Group has organized a multitude of large-scale cultural performances with professional standards in recent years. For example, we have jointly hosted the annual Lunar New Year Celebration with Asia Society Texas Center since 2017, and we are glad to see it has become such a popular annual event in the Houston area.

Q: About what age are your participants? What kind of training do the students go through, and what age do you think is best for those interested in dance to begin training?

A: The Huaxing Arts Group’s educational base is OAEC Chinese Center of Performing Arts, located at 10600 Richmond Avenue. We offer multiple dance programs for all age groups; students receive professional training starting from children's basic training in concentration, coordination, sense of rhythm, flexibility, technique, choreography, and cultivating a love for dance—which all continue at ageappropriate levels of difficulty. They have opportunities to study all dance styles, including but not limited to, Chinese classical, Chinese folk, ballet, and modern dance. The best age to start dance training is three and a half per our teaching experiences.

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the types of dances you feature, and how are those dances selected or curated?

A: China is a multi-ethnic country with different regions. The dance languages, music styles, and costumes are vastly different. We look for dances and performances that showcase the diversities of the Chinese culture and at the same time complement each other. In addition to dance, we have featured instrumental pieces, martial arts, and sand-painting programs, which are highlighted in order to bring the audience and our students rich and wonderful enjoyment.

Q: Have you participated in any dance competitions or exhibitions, and if so, how has that inspired you?

A: Yes, our students participated in many local, national and international dance competitions every year, including Dance Showcase, StarQuest, Starpound, Stageone, KAR, KNETX, and others. Most recently, we have received “Outstanding Studio Achievement” at WeShine WDC international Virtual Dance Competition. Participating in competitions allows our students to showcase their talent with other performers and gives us the opportunities to learn and grow. It really inspires us to be better at what we do.

Q: What kind of impact have you seen on the audience you perform for? Is there an age group tends to be the most interested or inspired?

A: Our shows are very popular; we do notice the audiences’ understanding of Chinese culture growing. We have received great feedback for all of our age groups, and the five- and six-yearold group seems to be the most popular.