Beijing Modern Dance Company

In today's global village, where it's commonplace for conductors to hold simultaneous posts with more than one orchestra, and opera artistic directors can be found doing double duty, it is still rare in the dance world for one artist to share his administrative abilities with two troupes separated by many miles. But not impossible. Consider Hong Kong-born Willy Tsao, whose many hats also include those of choreographer, teacher and dancer.

In a bare room with no air conditioning, baby-faced dancers stand in the muggy heat with their eyes closed and palms up, as Tibetan chants play on a dusty stereo and bulky fans hum in a corner. Swaying to the music, they extend their arms across their torsos and over their heads, trying to shed years of technical education at the urging of their teacher. "Your hands are holding candles.

Like a deft action hero in a martial arts film, Beijing Modern Dance Company artistic director Willy Tsao has had to fend off challenges from every side. "Why doesn't your work have more of a Hong Kong identity?" people asked when the Hong Kong native founded a modern dance company there in 1979. "Why are you interested in capitalist, pro-American art?" Chinese government officials asked when he brought modern dance to Guangzhou in 1987. "Why aren't you more Chinese?"

Originally intended as an action painting of contemporary China, the 70-minute dance epic "Rear Light" has been adapted for export into a relatively conventional ensemble showpiece: an index to the formidable power and prowess of the Beijing Modern Dance Company.

In a bare room with no air conditioning, baby-faced dancers stand in the muggy heat with their eyes closed and palms up, as Tibetan chants play on a dusty stereo and bulky fans hum in a corner. Swaying to the music, they extend their arms across their torsos and over their heads, trying to shed years of technical education at the urging of their teacher. "Your hands are holding candles.

Originally intended as an action painting of contemporary China, the 70-minute dance epic "Rear Light" has been adapted for export into a relatively conventional ensemble showpiece: an index to the formidable power and prowess of the Beijing Modern Dance Company.

In China, is there any theme that cuts as deeply as the conflict between collective identity and individuality? Back in the 1930s, some of the greatest American modern-dance choreographers created indelible statements on this subject, and their Chinese heirs are now renewing the debate with great daring and imagination. The evidence: a four-part program in the California Plaza on Thursday that introduced the accomplished Beijing Modern Dance Company to U.S.

Starting with three different programs by the New York City Ballet in October, the Los Angeles Music Center's second self-produced dance season will present seven companies in 2004-05 -- all but one of them performing in the L.A. County facility for the first time. A total of 26 performances are scheduled. Besides celebrating the 100th anniversary of co-founder George Balanchine's birth, the New York City Ballet engagement, Oct.

Willy Tsao is the Johnny Appleseed of Chinese modern dance, creating or upgrading companies in city after city. His latest, Beijing LDTX Modern Dance Company, is a spinoff of the ensemble with a nearly identical name and roster that Tsao brought to the Watercourt in California Plaza three years ago. On Thursday, LDTX began a three-night engagement at the Watercourt with "All River Red," the hit of those 2003 performances.

Like a deft action hero in a martial arts film, Beijing Modern Dance Company artistic director Willy Tsao has had to fend off challenges from every side. "Why doesn't your work have more of a Hong Kong identity?" people asked when the Hong Kong native founded a modern dance company there in 1979. "Why are you interested in capitalist, pro-American art?" Chinese government officials asked when he brought modern dance to Guangzhou in 1987. "Why aren't you more Chinese?"

In today's global village, where it's commonplace for conductors to hold simultaneous posts with more than one orchestra, and opera artistic directors can be found doing double duty, it is still rare in the dance world for one artist to share his administrative abilities with two troupes separated by many miles. But not impossible. Consider Hong Kong-born Willy Tsao, whose many hats also include those of choreographer, teacher and dancer.

From Los Angeles to New York, Phoenix to Minneapolis, cultural groups are struggling with tougher security-related U.S. visa rules for foreign performers. These have caused costly cancellations and bred uncertainty for arts programs. Though the law's intent is sound -- who can argue with making the United States safer from terrorism? -- its execution has done real harm.