Window on Williams – H.T. Chen and Dancers
The Dance Department welcomed back to Berkshire County H. T. Chen and Dancers in a residency exploring their new work South of Gold Mountain, which is an interpretation based on the images and oral histories of the Chinese who settled in the southern states prior to WWII. Lesser known were the Chinese who came to the southern states to work on plantations, widen the Augusta Canal, and build the railroads. Starting from the diaspora that led the Chinese to the South, this piece is a collective journey of these individuals. Through the power of faith, tradition, and work ethic, as well as the bonds to other Chinese families in the South, these individuals experienced, endured, and overcame their hardships. South of Gold Mountain pays tribute to the livelihoods of Chinese grocers, laundries, restaurants, and those who quietly persevered to make a difference in the communities in which they lived.
