What the students say
Xiaoqin Turner
I am a retired professor. I love Tai Chi and dance. I have taken dance classes at Oriental Culture Institute for 5 years. I greatly enjoy our dance teacher Ms. Yi Ping’s classes. She is a very professional, creative and dedicated dance teacher. She combines the arts of Tai Chi and Chinese classical dance.
In Ms. Yi Ping Tai Chi dance classe, she teaches the techniques of channeling internal energy. She emphasizes coordination of breathing with body movement. Her unique training makes dance more flowing, and thus enhances the artistic expression.
Tai Chi, as a martial art, is designed to respond to outside forces. On the other hand, dance is more open, graceful, and expressive of emotion. It relates to more expressive music. In teaching each dance, Ms. Yi Ping helps students understand the emotional content of the dance and its music. She talks about and interprets music and its relationship to dance movements. She has the talent to dance inside the music, transmitting the emotion the musical notes are giving. Ms. Yi Ping’s talent in Tai Chi, Chinese classical dance, and her musicality make her classes very interesting to me. In two years, I have had wonderful experiences learning and practicing more than 10 different dance choreographies.
(About myself - Xiaoqin Turner Since 1995, I have conducted numerous Tai Chi classes and workshops for universities, YMCA, city’s park & recreation centers, companies, churches, and retirement centers. I have been a feature performer of Tai Chi and sword for university talent show, community health fairs, and cultural events.)
Wei Ren
I love dancing, especially Tai Chi & Kung Fu dance. In practicing, I enjoy the beauty and Esten culture. I have been hoping to learn dancing systematically from a teacher. This year, I was lucky to meet Yiping and started taking her dance classes online. In last months, I have practiced a lot of fundamental dancing skills, including breathing and basic body movements. I have not only improved my dance skills, but also gained body strengths. Thanks, Yiping, for your professional instructions and guidance. I enjoyed the classes and am happy to share the experiences to other dancing lovers.
我喜欢舞蹈，特别喜欢中国古典舞，她给人一种美的享受，体现了中国文化和东方女性的蕴含，一直希望能有机会跟着老师好好学学。今年很高兴有幸能跟着一平老师远程上舞蹈网课，实现了多年的愿望。不但学到了舞蹈的基本功，懂得了呼吸吐纳，提沉冲靠......。通过舞蹈的基本功和内功的练习，身体还得到了锻炼，特别是腿部的力量。谢谢你，一平老师！让我的生活变得更充实，更美好！
Angela W
While I was wondering what exercise should I do and have fun, a friend introduced Oriental Culture dance class to me. I tried out one dance class. Since then, I’ve been taking the dance classes for about 16 months. The teacher, Yiping, is very professional and knows how to teach students in different levels. She is very dedicated. If we have any questions, she will explain and demonstrate very patiently. She always encourages her students and help every student to improve based on their own level. She teaches not only the movement but also the meaning behind the dance and the music. She leads us to warm up at the beginning of the class and finishes the class with stretching and cool off. In addition to having learned different style dances, the dance classes also improved my body posture, flexibility, muscle tone and strength. I really enjoyed Ms. Yiping’s dance classes.
Hua Lee
I have always had a dream in my 19 years armature dancing career, that is to systematically study Chinese classical dance which is the genre I never had experience with. The unique beauty in the controlled moves, reserved rhythm, and rich body language is incomparable in any other dance form. The influences of traditional Chinese culture, martial art, Chinese opera, Tai Chi, etc. are deeply rooted in Chinese classical dance. The “bearing” (inner feeling) in addition to beautiful “form” is so intriguing to the audience that Chinese classical dance is simply hypnotizing to watch. Residing in a medium city with small Chinese community, the chance of finding a professional dance teacher is next to zero. Reserving time for learning dance is also a luxury for a working woman juggling career, parenthood, and family life. When COVID hit, we had to gradually adapt to the new norm of spending majority of our awake hours at home. With the frustrations came an unexpected opportunity. An ad in the social media caught my attention; Teacher Jasmine’s dance classes went virtual. After viewing her long resume in education, dance performance, choreography, and program production, I signed up immediately. Without mirrors in the home “studio”, no peers on the dance floor, inevitably virtual learning and teaching dance is a completely different experience and a huge challenge for mature students of my age. Teacher Jasmine teaches with generous patience; she explains every move and posture in great details and takes every student’s progress into consideration in the lesson plan. In addition to the dance moves, each dance class is structured in such a way that cultural background is incorporated into the learning of each dance piece. The small hand gesture or nuances of a grand open spin of the entire body are explained with cultural elements thus adding layers of fun to the dance moves.
跳舞多年，我一直有一个心愿，那就是找机会系统地学习中国古典舞。古典舞的身韵和肢体语言所传递的东方韵味、独特的内敛美感一直深深吸引着我。在承担职业生涯和妈妈角色的双重责任的岁月里，这无疑是奢望；而在中国人不算多的中等城市，遇见合适的老师的几率也几近为零。2020 年，在为病毒施虐而焦虑不安中，人们慢慢习惯了居家的单调，而网络突然为我们打开了广阔的天地。看到一平老师的古典舞网课海报，我立刻报名参加。上网课没有镜子，不能纠正动作，加上没有舞伴，教与学都面临挑战。一平老师丰富的专业经验，深厚的文化修养，加上对程度不同的学员诲人不倦的耐心和细心，让几个月的网课成绩斐然。细看学员在室外录制的舞蹈组合录像，学员的技术和韵味一天天提高。而在学习呼吸、控制、身韵、提沉的时候，2020 焦虑似乎也在慢慢治愈。乱世中，一曲深情伴一段曼舞，生活依然美好！
Jianghong Gou
我喜爱运动和艺术，尤其热爱中国舞蹈，但多年来却一直没有机会得以实践。两年前来到美国，偶然的机会认识了一平，也认识了一平老师的舞蹈魅力。一平老师编排的各类舞蹈（古典舞、肚皮舞、形体舞等）专业而且非常有特色，尤其是对舞蹈音乐的把控特别棒，她独特的教学方法让不同基础的学员都能在她的舞蹈中找到共鸣。我就是一个很好的例证，年已不惑的我，舞蹈基础几乎为零，但自从参加了一平老师的舞蹈班，不仅学到了很多舞蹈专业知识，还能够试着完成一个个不算完美的成品舞剧目，而且我的圆肩驼背开始逐渐挺直，僵硬的肢体开始舒展灵活。舞蹈不仅带给了我健康的身体，更是带给了我身心的愉悦。我会一直坚持跳下去的！
Ping Zhu
I began to take Chinese dance class at the Oriental Culture Institute about one year and half ago. Ms. Yiping is a very professional, creative and dedicated dance teacher. She used the release and collection of "Qi" in Tai Chi to control and coordinate the strength of human muscles, so as to make the dance have a flowing rhythm. In the past year and half, I have really enjoyed Ms. Yiping's Chinese dance class. It’s been a very pleasant experience.
Ann H
My good friend Connie introduced me to this dance class, I am grateful that I joined. I never had any dancing learning before, my purpose was to get body movements, jumping around. In the beginning my whole body was so stiff and sore; little by little after a while my body feels better. Even now I can’t dancing well but I can follow the music move my body around (LOL). Yiping is a great teacher with great skills and passion. Anyone who wants to learn dancing or who likes me want to promote your health.
“记得我是从去年的夏天开始上舞蹈课的，一年前和现在比较感觉精神面貌变化了许多，以前容易疲劳，现在精神焕发每天夜晚一觉睡到大天亮。每节舞蹈课给我美的享受，一平老师创编的每一舞蹈把我们带到了另一种境界，音乐优美，上课就是一种欣赏和享受。一平老师的舞蹈教学是在帮助学员从内在到外表的修炼，是循环渐进体会和领悟的过程。”
— Qun Zou
自从去年开始参加一平老师的古典舞，我越来越喜欢和期待每周六的到来。以前也参加过不少舞蹈课，但一平老师的课却让我眼前一亮。 不是单纯的一支舞，而是从云手、穿手、云肩转腰、慢步等组合开始，让我们领会古典舞的基础要素，然后再在成品舞中让基础不断巩固。这种科学的教课方式让我更系统的了解和理解古典舞， 同时还能提高对艺术的鉴赏能力。
每学完一个组合或成品舞，一平老师都会不辞辛苦的给大家录像编辑，还有各种演出让学员们有展示和锻炼自己的舞台。
一平老师讲解认真细致，言传身教，让我得到了很大的进步和提高。 我很庆幸自己有这样难得的机会。
— Xiao Huan Li 李晓欢
云肩转腰
“我听朋友推荐报名参加了一平老师的舞蹈课，我很喜欢肚皮舞和中国古典舞，一平老师选择的音乐和编舞都非常有特点。后来因为疫情，开设了网课，非常方便，让我回到中国出差或旅行时也可以学习，全程有回放，放在大屏幕上，看得很清晰，这种新的上课形式非常好，让我们随时随地都可以学习自己喜欢的舞蹈，根据自己的时间来安排。”
— Sunny Zhang
Ming Xiu Lee
我住在纽约，从小就对中国古典舞蹈很感兴趣，但一直都没有机会去学习。疫情期间，偶然机会通过亲友介绍，在网上参加了一平老师的舞蹈课。每堂线上课程老师都用心的传授她专业的知识，并很仔细耐心的解说，使我对舞蹈有了更近一步的认识。有时候课程时间与我的时间表不匹配，但因为网课有回放，我也可以在其它时间观看学习，很方便。若有机会参加现场教学，我一定还选择一平老师的课。
Erico Cao
今年六月，我从中国来到北卡，有幸结识了美丽、知性、优雅的一平老师。并跟随一平老师学习中国古典舞、肚皮舞、舞韵瑜伽，圆了我儿时的梦想：学习舞蹈。一平老师不仅自身舞蹈功底深厚，而且教学方法循序渐进、深入浅出，耐心细致地指导我们每一个动作、每一个情绪的表达。一平老师对学生要求严格，因为疫情上网课，每次课要求交视频作业，这样促使我们课后多练习。跟随一平老师学跳舞是一件非常快乐的事情，我会一直坚持下去。感谢一平老师，让我重新找回了自己的兴趣爱好。学习舞蹈，让我们舞出了自信美丽的人生。
XiuJuan Rong
刚开始我抱着试试看的心态加入了一平老师的舞蹈班。上完第一节后就开始喜欢了，不知不觉地已跳了有4年多了。在这期间，一平老师独特的教学理念和方法对我受益非浅。感觉到舞蹈能使女性得到一种由内而外散发出自信和美丽，是和其它运动有所不能比的。一平老师编排的各类舞蹈：民族舞，古典舞、肚皮舞、舞韵瑜伽等，练习后使人身心愉悦。我特别喜欢每次课后的瑜伽拉伸，使我僵硬的身体慢慢地舒展开了，走起路来更加挺拔了。我们的Yoga Dance 表演也得到很多朋友的认可和点赞。
