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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, will be partnering 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 will have the opportunity to practice music (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.
T-Shirt & Portrait Drive
Dragons symbolize power, magnificence, and zazzy energy. Lend your spirit to the dragon. Donated t-shirts are being sewn for the skin of the dragon, and your pictures of what the dragon means to you--whoever or whatever has a place in your life (pets, places, people, musicians, writings, artists…) can still be added. Share a photo and your image will shine on the dragon’s scales.
Volunteer to Dance the Dragon
Train together with your friends! We need teams of 8 people to bring the new, reimagined U-M dragon to life. Performances are scheduled at Hill Auditorium on April 6 and the FoolMoon Festival on April 10. Volunteer dancers must be available to perform at BOTH events!
Volunteers will train with Golden Tiger Kung Fu & Extended Learning Academy on March 29—register now!
Dragon Decorating Workshops
Attend a workshop to decorate the dragon body with garlands and glitter, bells and bottlecaps, sequins and sparkle! Events will be held on March 12, 17, 19 from 6 - 9 PM at the Duderstadt Design Lab (1321 Duderstadt Center).
Dragon Dance Performances
Attend a performance on April 6 at Hill Auditorium from 7:30 - 9:30 PM, or the next weekend at FullMoon & FestiFools. Stay tuned for dances at art sites including the Maya Lin Wave Field and David Barr’s “Liberation” sculpture.
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
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.
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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.
