Bound/Unbound

A Music Theatre Piece by Alex Ho and Sun Keting

New music, new movement, her stories. Join trailblazing Associate Artists, Tangram, for the premiere of a new music theatre piece by Alex Ho and Sun Keting interweaving the stories of two of China’s 19th century heroines: Afong Moy and Qiu Jin.

The Programme

Growing up with bound feet in the feudal Qing Dynasty, Afong Moy in 1834 became the first Chinese woman to be brought to America, where she was displayed before the public as a ‘Chinese Curiosity’. Half a century later, Qiu Jin, a young revolutionary, challenged the stifling Manchu culture and changed the fate of women by unbinding her feet and taking up the art of sword fighting. Poet, author of manifestos, and leader of a revolutionary community, Qiu Jin was determined to save her country from the corrupt Qing government. These two women, bound and unbound, together compose a symphonic dance, a protest against the world of patriarchy into which they were born.

What to Expect

Since their conception in 2019 Tangram have been pushing the boundaries of their events with Bound/Unbound showcasing some of the UK’s most dynamic Chinese cross-cultural performers. The production incorporates opera, dance and visual arts to intertwine the stories of Afong Moy and Qiu Jin through eight performers. This includes choreographer and dancer Yining Chen, a specialist in modern Chinese sword dance and percussionist Beibei Wang and Korean soprano soloist Haegee Lee, alongside string players from the LSO.