Disco, YES!
November 17, 2023 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Artists, pop-ups, and performers: Grant Avenue Follies, LionDanceME!, Marky Enriquez aka Proof, Hou Yumei, Bijun Liang, CCC Design Store.
About
Co-presented by the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco and Edge on the Square, “Disco YES!” is a celebration of Chinatown’s creativity, community spirit, and joy.
On Friday, Chinatown’s iconic Grant Avenue (between Clay and Washington) will be transformed into “Disco YES!”—an art block party filled with music, dance, and contemporary art installations. Join us to support Chinatown and dance your hearts out!
EXHIBITION TOURS
Sign up on the spot for a joint gallery tour of Chinese Culture Center’s Present Tense 2023: Perilous Playground and Edge on the Square’s Within Others. To sign up, head over to the welcome table at the event, the tour will start promptly at 5 pm.
Yumei Hou 侯玉梅 is a sculptor and renowned master of the ancient Chinese art of paper cutting. Hou has dedicated decades to learning, perfecting, and passing on the art of paper cutting in China and the United States. Her talent and dedication was recognized by the San Francisco Arts Commission in 2010, when she was selected to design and install a building-wide artwork for the Chinatown Central Subway. In 2022, Hou was awarded the “Visionary Artist Award” by the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco.
Bijun Liang is a Chinese-American artist based in San Francisco, CA. Her practice encompasses interactive installations and public art. Using a unique blend of playfulness, humor, and crowdsourcing, Liang puts the voices of the community at the forefront of the art she creates. In recent years, Liang exhibited her works at The Headlands Center for the Arts, Chinatown Media & Arts Collaborative, the Chinese Culture Center, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Her recent accomplishments include creating murals like "Fufufufufu" and "Welcome to Chilltown," as well as community-based installations such as "Facepalm" and "Omens in Chinatown." Liang has been recognized in art collections on SuperRare and LACMA.
Grant Avenue Follies brings to life the legacy of San Francisco Chinatown’s golden nightclub era. Originally comprised of four professional dancers from San Francisco Chinatown’s nightclub culture of the 1950s and ‘60s, they were following doctor’s orders to exercise for improved physical health. The Follies rediscovered the sheer joy and freedom of dance and reconnected with their roots. Dance classes led to recitals and eventually requests to entertain seniors at various San Francisco Bay Area daycare facilities.
Follies has garnered international attention with their 2021 anti-Asian hate music video, "Gai Mou Sou Rap" (Chicken Feather Duster Rap) that went viral on the internet. Since then they have produced "Glammas Wrap" and with AARP, a new year video titled "That Lunar Cheer." Most recently, the Follies debuted their comedic play, "GAF Glam Bang" at the Hong Kong Business Association Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. You can see the play on November 10, 11 & 12 at Clarion Performing Arts Center in San Francisco Chinatown. More information about the Grant Avenue Follies can be found here. The Follies also hang out at the Showgirl Magic Museum at Clarion Performing Arts Center. To visit the museum and to learn more about the Follies please call Cynthia Yee at 415-793-1183.
LionDanceME specializes in lion dance, music, and entertainment, hence the name LionDanceME. It was founded by Norman Lau in 2012, who took a traditional Chinese cultural art and transformed it into a modern entertainment company. Originally started as a single high school club, LionDanceME has since expanded and added programs in schools all around San Francisco.
Marky Enriquez aka Proof is a San Francisco-based DJ, throwing game-changing events, and spinning coast-to-coast with the hottest selections. Heavily influenced by funk, soul, hip-hop, disco, and house, Marky's sound caters to the discerned dance floor. His mixes, known for their global flavor and crossing genres seamlessly, have created quite a buzz with music lovers. Learn more at livin-proof.com.
Supported by: San Francisco Office of Workforce and Economic Development
Special Thanks: San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce
About Chinese Culture Center (CCC): Chinese Culture Center (CCC) is a non-profit arts organization established in 1965. CCC elevates underserved communities and gives voice to equality through education and contemporary art. Rooted in San Francisco’s Chinatown, CCC is a loud and creative voice to uplift social, cultural, and economic transformation. The CCC champions resiliency and healthy communities by funding artists. In doing so, we shift dominant narratives, empower change, and reimagine our futures.
