Stepping toward global exchange

After years of balancing a career in software engineering with evening dance rehearsals, Olivia Xia, a Chinese American born in Washington DC, never imagined that her lifelong passion for Chinese classical dance would take her to China.

When Xia stepped onto the stage at the Irvine Barclay Theatre in California to receive the inaugural Li Chen Fellowship for Chinese Dance Studies, the moment reflected both her personal journey and the organizers' broader efforts to promote Chinese classical dance through education and international exchange.