Chinese dance group commemorating 10 years
MCCANDLESS TWP, Allegheny County — After moving to the U.S. in 1986 to pursue a master’s degree in education, Xiaobo LaPresta returned to China in the early-2010s to get education in a different topic — a musical one.
LaPresta came back to the U.S. to share her newly found skills in waist drum dance, an ancient practice in Chinese culture, and started her own company based on teaching and sharing the art in 2015.
LaPresta is now celebrating the 10th anniversary of her company, the Pittsburgh Xiaobo Waist Drum Dance Group, and said the group has been successful because of how welcoming audiences in Western Pennsylvania have been.
“We’re not just for Chinese. We’re for all communities,” LaPresta said. “We live here, we should serve the community, we should connect with them.”
Although LaPresta and her husband, Jay Liebowitz, are soon leaving to visit China and other parts of Asia, LaPresta said she is focusing on thanking the people who have viewed her dances over the past 10 years.
“It’s very fun, joyful, exciting,” LaPresta said.
The origin of waist drum dance goes back to ancient Chinese culture. It has been an integral part of traditional festivals and ceremonies for centuries.
It was originally used to celebrate the harvest, wish good luck and ward off evil spirits — over time, the dance has evolved into a form of entertainment that showcases the talents and skills of performers, according to china.raftis.org, a website that documents the history of Chinese dance. The site is curated by Alkis Raftis, a dance historian and the president of the International Dance Council.
On Thursday, Sept. 18, LaPresta and Liebowitz donned their red robes, which they wear when performing waist drum dances, while LaPresta fastened a drum to her waist and Liebowitz picked up cymbals. As they explained, waist drum dancing utilizes the beat of drums — which the dancers sling onto their waists — and interpretive movements that can evoke a range of emotions.
The dances LaPresta choreographs are usually celebratory and high-energy, and they can have as many as a few dozen people dancing per performance. In addition to the beat of the waist-mounted drums, the group’s performances are underscored with traditional Chinese music played over speakers.
“I composed all the dances … and the audience loves it,” LaPresta said. “I composed mostly for lots of celebrations — for opening businesses, restaurants, weddings.”
Pittsburgh Xiaobo Waist Drum Dance group has performed over 100 times in the greater Pittsburgh area. The group typically performs at celebratory events, for schools, universities, international festivals, corporations, business openings, weddings, community days, museums, parades and even Pittsburgh’s Bicentennial Parade.
LaPresta said the group has also performed at Cranfest in Cranberry Township and in holiday parades in Zelienople.
Although the art form is a Chinese staple, LaPresta emphasized that anyone can do it, and there are many people in her group who don’t have a Chinese background, Liebowitz included.
He added that there are still a good amount of people who do have Chinese backgrounds, but several current members of the group just joined after seeing them perform.
“We have several Americans,” Liebowitz said. “There have been several people who are in the audience and they come talk to us after the show and say, ‘Can we join your group.’”
Liebowitz has become a bit of a celebrity as the “cymbals man” of the group, because he usually starts off performances with one or several rhythmic claps of his cymbals right from the front of the dancers.
“Banging a drum can relieve stress,” Liebowitz said.
LaPresta is the president of the dance group, and Liebowitz is the vice president. LaPresta said she charges $50 per year for people who want to join the group for regular performances and lessons. She teaches newbies the basics of waist drum dance — sometimes in person, sometimes over a video call — and then helps her students learn the dances she choreographs.
The group is diverse, with people ranging in age from 20 to 75, and from different backgrounds. They include students, homemakers, professors, doctors, engineers, lawyers and retirees, and many have become good friends through performing in the group.
“We have different backgrounds, different age groups. People want to be part of it,” LaPresta said.
The group still performs regularly — usually at community events throughout Western Pennsylvania, but sometimes at schools and community centers as well. Liebowitz said the group’s dances usually generate a positive reception, especially at some of the events in the area that celebrate diverse cultures, like one Sept. 13 at Mellon Park in Pittsburgh.
“We performed in the Chinese Culture Center that sponsored the big Chinese festival at Mellon Park,” Liebowitz said. “We were the 38th group to perform that day.”
LaPresta said she plans to continue leading the group for the foreseeable future. She said sharing her culture with others is one of the reasons she enjoys performing, and the receptive audiences are one of the reasons she enjoys living in Western Pennsylvania.
“I think we should all help each other, support creatives,” LaPresta said. “Community-oriented, this is the dream we came for.”
For more information on the Pittsburgh Xiaobo Waist Drum Dance Group, visit its website at xiaobo1957.wixsite.com/my-site.
