By Catherine Fu
Interview with the Chair of Dai Ailian Foundation, Adrian Isaac, in Trinidad and Tobago: Live Stream
November 3, 2024, at 10 AM Eastern Time, Cathy Fu interviewed the chairperson of the Dai Ailian Foundation in Trinidad and Tobago. Dai Ailian (1916-2006), known as the “Mother of Modern Dance” in China, had a fascinating transcultural journey. Born in Trinidad and Tobago to Chinese parents of Guangdong origin, she studied modern dance in London in the 1930s before moving to China in 1940 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Despite not speaking Chinese initially, she became a revolutionary figure in Chinese dance, eventually serving as the first principal of the Beijing Dance School (now the Beijing Dance Academy) and director of the Central Song and Dance Ensemble. Her most famous works, including “The Lotus Dance” and “Flying Apsaras,” uniquely blended Chinese classical aesthetics with modern dance techniques, establishing her as a pivotal figure who bridged Eastern and Western dance traditions.
As a Chinese Canadian visiting the Chinese Association of Trinidad and Tobago, I was struck by how familiar yet wonderfully distinctive this piece of overseas Chinese culture felt. The red and gold building in Port of Spain immediately evoked memories of community centers back home in Canada, but stepping inside revealed a unique Caribbean twist on Chinese heritage.
Where I expected to hear Cantonese or Mandarin, I encountered Chinese-Trinidadian elders switching effortlessly between English, Hakka, and even Trini Creole. The traditional Chinese decorations shared space with vibrant Caribbean artwork, and the community bulletin board advertised both dim sum gatherings and local carnival events.
What moved me most was connecting with fellow members of the Chinese diaspora who had carved out such a distinctive identity here. Over a lunch that blended Chinese and Trinidadian flavors, community members shared stories of their ancestors who arrived as indentured laborers in the 1800s. Despite the vast differences between our families’ immigration journeys – theirs to the Caribbean, mine to Canada – there was an instant sense of kinship in our shared experience of maintaining Chinese culture while embracing a new home.
In the front of Chinese Association of Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain
Interview with Nicky Fung, Board Director of Chinese Association of Trinidad & Tobago
Interview with Lawrence Low, Director of the Chinese Association of Trinidad and Tobago
Interview with Debbie Mount, 3rd generation Chinese in Trinidad, Dance Master who once studied at Thora Dumbbell School of Dance at Trinidad and Tobago
Wai Yien, Founder and President of Wai Yien Enterprises Ltd. at Trinidad and Tobago
