Co-founded Arsenal Movement, a guerilla style, site-specific dance project with the goal of making dance accessible and inclusive for nondancers.
Cheng began dancing traditional Chinese folk dance at age 5 and figure skating at age 10, and is a graduate of Cardozo High School in Queens, New York where she studied ballet, jazz, and lyrical dance. She earned a B.A. in contemporary dance and choreography from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) and has performed in Los Angeles, New York, Netherlands, and Japan; she has worked with Holly Johnston, Maria Gillespie, Rachael Lincoln, Kensaku Shinohara, Mandarin Wu, Francisco Martinez, and Eiko and Koma.
She is a former masterclass guest artist at the American College Dance Association (ACDA, formerly ACDFA), a guest artist at CSULA, and Codarts and Circle in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Her works have been shown at ACDA, Spoke the Hub, Friends/Family/Dance/Festival, Gibney, and Greenspace, with commission at CSULA.
She is a United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) coach and coaches all ages. In her free time, she explores aerial silk and lyra and performs for Inverted Aerial.
Artist Statement
My work in dance and choreography explores the vitality that unites people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. It is a force that does not require words to be understood, taught, or learned. Dance and movement flow, enrich, and give life, much like blood, to those who acknowledge its presence within their bodies. I activate what may lie dormant in the body and to explore what dance can communicate. The body is the artist’s tool and my choreography is how I paint.
Photo Credit: Taylor Becker and Alex Campo