Join Yale-China Arts Fellows Sarah Xiao (dance) and Nicole Pun (visual art) as they share how their residency in New Haven has shaped their art.
Ideas talks are going on all Festival long! Read our advice on how to get the most from these explorative conversations >
Sarah Xiao started her dance training at the age of 6 in the Province of Hunan, China. Sarah received professional performing education at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). Sarah has been involved actively in a number of artistic practices with international artists including Isaac Chong, Manual Pelmus, Alvin Tran, Scarlet Yu, and Cai Ying. As an independent dance artist, she presents a unique and unconventional style. Her open approach to performances brings an introspective, artistic eye to her audiences. Her solo work includes They don't care about us, ?, Free now, She. During her study in school, Sarah received the Margaret Zee Outstanding Performer Award, the Dean's Prize for Dance and a full scholarship for Biblioteca Do Corpo Dance Project in Vienna at the ImPulsTanz Dance Festival. Sarah has also received scholarships from the City Contemporary Dance Company and the Beijing Modern Dance Festival.
Nicole Pun is a visual artist based in Hong Kong. She uses photography, video, performance to explore queer identity, desire and female representation. Her artistic practice involves collaborations and interviews with strangers. She examines the suppressing social structures and portray their stories in an intimate way. She received her MFA from California Institute of the Arts in 2014. She has a BSSc from the Chinese of University of Hong Kong, with a background in Journalism and Communication. Her work has been exhibited in Circus Gallery in Los Angeles; Avenue 50 Studio in Los Angeles; SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco; McGroarty Arts Center in Tujunga, California; “In & Out” Nicole Pun Solo Exhibition at Lumenvisum in Hong Kong. In 2016, she received WMA Masters Special Mention Award. She is the recipient of a number of grants and awards, including the Emerging Artists Scheme of Hong Kong Arts Development Council, First Prize of Chiquita Canyon landfill art competition and Bartman Grant.
Annie Lin is the arts program director at the Yale-China Association, working to identify new collaborative and interdisciplinary work in the arts in greater China and the United States. In addition to exploring new methods of cross-disciplinary and intercultural exchanges, Annie manages the Yale-China Arts Fellowship, public programs in the arts, and special exchange programs. Annie was a Yale-China Fellow based in Xiuning, Anhui Province. Annie previously worked at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly University, and San Luis Obispo Symphony. Annie graduated from Yale with a B.A. in music. Annie is a Fellow of Ezra Stiles College, a Fellow of the Community Leadership Program in New Haven, and is from Morro Bay, California.
