Si-Lan Chen
Chen Xilan | |
---|---|
Born | 1905 Trinidad |
Died | 1996 Contra Costa, California, USA[1] |
Occupation(s) | Ballet dancer, modern dancer, choreographer, activist |
Spouse | Jay Leyda |
Parents | (father) |
Si-Lan Chen (Chinese: 陳錫蘭; 1905–1996), also known as Sylvia Si-Lan Chen Leyda, Chen Xuelan, or Chen Xilan,[2] was a dancer, choreographer, and activist of Chinese and Afro-Caribbean descent.
Life
Si-Lan Chen was born in
Chen was romantically involved with the poet Langston Hughes during his visit to Moscow in 1932.[5] In 1933, she met Jay Leyda, an American filmmaker and film historian, whom she married in 1934. During the 1930s and 1940s, following the Japanese invasion of China, she performed in benefits to raise relief funds for China, touring in the U.S.,[6][7] Mexico, and the Caribbean, and was an active supporter of anti-imperialist movements. During this time, she also worked in Hollywood as a choreographer and dance instructor, appearing in some films, such as The Keys to the Kingdom (1944).[3][8][9]
Due to her leftist commitments, Chen was monitored by the FBI and forced to frequently leave and re-enter the U.S. by the American immigration authorities, despite her marriage to a U.S. citizen.[8] In 1984, she published an autobiography, Footnote to History. A collection of her papers is housed at the New York University libraries, including her correspondence with Langston Hughes and Pearl S. Buck, her FBI file, documentation of her dance career, and other writings.[3]
Works of choreography[4]
- Landlord on a Horse (1938)
- Shanghai Sketches (1938)
- Two Chinese Women (1938)
- Chinese Student-Dedication (1938)
- In Conquered Nanking (1939)
- Uzbec Dance (1939)
Writings
- Footnote to History, ed. Sally Banes (Dance Horizons, 1984), autobiography.
References
- ^ "Si-Lan Chen". IMDb.
- ^ Revolutionary Bodies: Chinese Dance and the Socialist Legacy. University of California Press. p. 18.
- ^ a b c "Description: Jay Leyda and Si-Lan Chen Leyda Papers". Asian/Pacific American Archives Survey Project, New York University. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Chen, Si-Lan (1909–)". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- S2CID 150684443.
- ^ "Si-Lan Chen to dance here for China aid". The Capital Times. 1939-03-26. p. 11. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
- ^ "Chinese dancer aids relief fund". The Kingston Daily Freeman. 1939-04-18. p. 8. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
- ^ a b Gao, Yunxiang. "Abstract for conference paper, "Sylvia Si-Lan Chen Leyda (1905-1996): A Sino-African Dancer's Global Citizenship in War and Revolution"". American Historical Association, 2020 Meeting Program. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- S2CID 148134364. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
External links
- Photograph of Si-lan Chen, University of California Calisphere