Dai Ailian

▪ 2007

      British-born Chinese dancer, choreographer, and teacher (b. May 10, 1916, Trinidad, British West Indies—d. Feb. 9, 2006, Beijing, China), was dubbed “the mother of Chinese ballet,” and she was instrumental in introducing Western dance in China and in creating dances based on Chinese folk traditions. Dai studied ballet and modern dance in London under Anton Dolin, Margaret Craske, and Marie Rambert. Although she knew no Chinese, she moved to Hong Kong in 1940 in a quest to develop national dance. To reach this goal she drew on dances from traditional Chinese operas and studied the traditions of various ethnic groups. In 1954 Dai was named principal of the newly founded Beijing Dancing School, and two works that she created, Lotus Dance and Flying Apsaras, were international sensations and designated as classics of 20th-century Chinese dance. She also served as director of the Central Song and Dance Ensemble, the first dean of the Beijing Academy of Dance, director and adviser of the Central Ballet Troupe, and vice-chairman of the Chinese Dancers' Association. Dai's international importance was recognized when a statue of her (as one of four outstanding female dancers) was unveiled at the reception hall of the British Royal Academy of Dance, where it remained on display.

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