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- CHOP | China Ongoing Perspectives Film Series
- Winter 2026 - Dancing with the Dragon
This winter semester, the University of Michigan welcomes a spectacular, semester-long program celebrating the artistry, tradition, and collective spirit embodied by the dragon in Asian tradition—an iconic symbol of inclusivity, strength, and courage.
Renowned international artist Zhen Guo, partnered with faculty arts lecturer Raymond Wetzel, artist Jeri Rosenberg, students, and volunteers to co-create a striking full-body dragon sculpture from recycled materials for use in the traditional "dragon dance." In addition, students and volunteers had the opportunity to practice music (Prof. Michael Gould and faculty lecturer Xiaodong Wei), sound (Asst. Prof. Julie Zhu) and choreography (Golden Tiger Kung Fu & Extended Learning Academy) for use in performances scheduled around campus, public art sites and community festivals. This newly imagined U-M dragon, with its futuristic flair, technological creativity and sustainable materials, invites students and the entire community to re-envision a classic cultural symbol for contemporary times.
Performance at the Peony Garden
Saturday, May 30
11:00 AM
Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, 1610 Washington Hts.Ann Arbor
Dart for Art (Ann Arbor Art Fair)
Tuesday, July 14
6:30 PM
Downtown Ann Arbor
Lace up your shoes and join the excitement of the Dart for Art, an all-inclusive one-mile run/walk in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor.
Educational Resources
- Dragons Everywhere All at Once — Performance, Art, Adventure
Children, parents, and art lovers experienced the magic and myth of dragons in East Asian art through dance performances, calligraphy, and zine-making at Family Day, held at the University Art Museum (UMMA) on September 21, 2025. - UMMA 🐲🐉DRAGONS🐉🐲 Curated Group
Online collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) curated images of Dragons across cultures. - Dragon Dance Unleashed, Director Shiaojun Pan
Presentation at Huron High School, Ann Arbor - Asia Library Dragon Bibliography
Chinese Dragons: Mythology and Symbolism
Winter Semester Courses
- RCARTS 270
Build the serpentine body of the dragon - RCMUSIC 352
Create one-of-a-kind found art instruments to accompany the dragon’s dance - RCMUSIC 321
Chinese music ensemble - SMTD PAT 413/513
Explore the dragon’s sonic properties—voice, movement, and character
Zhen Guo was born in Shandong Province, China, and experienced the “Cultural Revolution” during her teen years. She graduated from the Chinese Painting Department of the China Academy of Art in 1982 and was hired there to teach in its Chinese Art Department. Zhen Guo is one of the earliest explorers of ink art after the reform and opening up of China. She immigrated to the United States in 1986 and established Zhen Guo Art Studio in New York City in 1988. Guo has participated in many international art exhibitions and has long been committed to the research and exploration of contemporary feminist art.
Major auction houses such as Sotheby’s have repeatedly promoted her works. In recent years, Guo has curated and participated in “Existence: International Women’s Art Exhibition” in Changsha, China; “Please Touch, Body Boundaries,” a large-scale exhibition, at Mana Contemporary Art in the United States; “Asian Women Artists Exhibition” at Jeonbuk Provincial Museum of Art, South Korea, and many more abroad and in the United States. She has also contributed to the U-M Global Feminisms Project which archives oral history interviews with individuals who identify themselves as working on behalf of issues related to women and gender in different national contexts.
Blog: Rewriting Power: Zhen Guo’s Journey from Silent Sacrifice to Feminist Art
Meet the Artist | Rewriting Power: Zhen Guo's Journey to Feminist Art
Zhen Guo, Artist in Residence, Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies
Asian American artist Zhen Guo is the artistic leader of the U-M initiative, "Dancing with the Dragon," centered around building and reinventing a full-body dragon as seen in traditional Asian dragon dances. Guo bridges traditional crafts with modern artistic interpretations, and in this talk, will present her journey and experiences that led to her own identity as a feminist and a transnational/transcultural artist.
Songs of the Dragon, Images of Fantasy: Music and Visual Arts Re-imagined
Zhen Guo, artist in residence; Sunhong Kim, p'iri; Xiaodong Wei, erhu, and Chinese Music Ensemble
A visual storytelling of artist-in-residence Zhen Guo's career trajectory interspersed with music selections from the Chinese Music Ensemble and performances on the Korean p'iri with Sunhong Kim together with Clay Conley, and Xiaodong Wei on Chinese erhu and zither.
Listen to the Dragon Sonifications
Explore the dragon’s sonic properties—voice, movement, and character as interpreted by students of SMTD professor, Julie Zhu.
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Presented by the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. This project was made possible by grants from the University of Michigan Arts Initiative and the Office of the Provost, Global Engagement.
Additional funding was provided by ArtsEngine, Center for World Performance Studies, Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments, and U.S. Department of Education.
With support from Asian Languages and Cultures, International Institute, James and Anne Duderstadt Center, Nam Center for Korean Studies, Residential College, School of Kinesiology, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Taubman College, University of Michigan Library, University of Michigan Museum of Art, and Women’s and Gender Studies Department.
