Si-Lan Chen (; 1905–1996), also known as Sylvia Si-Lan Chen Leyda, Chen Xuelan, or Chen Xilan, was a dancer, choreographer, and activist of Chinese and Afro-Caribbean descent.

Life

Si-Lan Chen was born in Trinidad in 1905 (some sources also give her birth year as 1909), the daughter of Eugene Chen, a Chinese lawyer and diplomat, and Agatha Alphosin Ganteaume, a Trinidadian woman of French Creole heritage. In 1912, she moved to London, where she studied dance at the Stedman Academy. In 1926, she moved to China, where her father held the position of foreign minister in the government of

Sun Yat-Sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

. In 1927, her family fled to Moscow after

Chiang Kai-Shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

took power in China. While in Moscow, Chen enrolled in the school of the

Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it came to internatio ...

and subsequently studied modern dance, including working with the avant-garde choreographer

Kasyan Goleizovsky Kasyan Yaroslavich Goleizovsky (5 March 1892 – 4 May 1970) was a Russian choreographer and dancer. He was a pioneer in the Moscow avant-garde ballet scene in the 1920s. His innovative and acrobatic routines heavily influenced artists like G ...

, becoming an early exponent of modern dance in the Soviet Union. She was also the first ballet teacher of her cousin,

Dai Ailian Dai Ailian (; May 10, 1916 – February 9, 2006) was a Chinese dancer and an important figure in the modern history of dance in China. She was born in 1916 into an overseas Chinese family living in Trinidad. Her years as a dance teacher and educato ...

, who would go on to become an influential figure in modern dance in China. Chen was romantically involved with the poet

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

during his visit to Moscow in 1932. In 1933, she met

Jay Leyda Jay Leyda (February 12, 1910 – February 15, 1988)David Stirk and Elena Pinto Simon in was an American avant-garde filmmaker and film historian, noted for his work on U.S, Soviet, and Chinese cinema, as well as his documentary compilations on ...

, an American filmmaker and film historian, whom she married in 1934. During the 1930s and 1940s, following the Japanese invasion of China, she performed in benefits to raise relief funds for China, touring in the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean, and was an active supporter of anti-imperialist movements. During this time, she also worked in Hollywood as a choreographer and dance instructor, appearing in some films, such as ''The Keys to the Kingdom'' (1944). Due to her leftist commitments, Chen was monitored by the FBI and forced to frequently leave and re-enter the U.S. by the American immigration authorities, despite her marriage to a U.S. citizen. In 1984, she published an autobiography, ''Footnote to History''. A collection of her papers is housed at the New York University libraries, including her correspondence with Langston Hughes and Pearl S. Buck, her FBI file, documentation of her dance career, and other writings.

Works of choreography

*''Landlord on a Horse'' (1938) *''Shanghai Sketches'' (1938) *''Two Chinese Women'' (1938) *''Chinese Student-Dedication'' (1938) *''In Conquered Nanking'' (1939) *''Uzbec Dance'' (1939)

Writings

*''Footnote to History'', ed. Sally Banes (Dance Horizons, 1984), autobiography.

References

External links

Photograph of Si-lan Chen
University of California Calisphere {{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Si-Lan 1905 births 1996 deaths Modern dancers 20th-century ballet dancers Trinidad and Tobago dancers Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States