Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers celebrate 25 years of bridging Asian philosophy with Western dance techniques

In 1997, dancer and choreographer Kun-Yang Lin debuted a solo in which he transformed into a qilin, a Chinese mythical creature with the head of a dragon, the body of a horse, and the scales of a fish — enveloped in flames. Walking on water and swimming through clouds, Lin gained a following eager to learn to move like him. Together, they formed a collective that grew into Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers.

For its 25th season, KYL/D will revisit the imagery of the qilin, also known as the kylin. Using the variation resembling Lin’s name, “KyLin’s Garden 麒麟的花園: A Space for Tending, Sharing & Imagination” will have three showings March 10 and 11 at Drexel University’s Mandell Theater.

“The kylin is a metaphor for how I perceive dance,” explained Lin. The hybrid body “is like a dancer. There’s fierceness but at the same time, gentleness. It’s about finding calmness in the chaos of the world …[It’s] an invitation to connection, serenity, a deep joy.”

The program includes revivals of four dances from Lin’s oeuvre of 106 works, restaged on current company members.

Kylin’s Garden, the 1997 solo, portrays a qilin exploring its environment, symbolizing a young artist chasing their dream. In contrast, The Wind, which marked Lin’s return to stage in 2021 after an eight-year hiatus, showcases a maturing artistic voice standing ground in a turbulent world.

Love Song, initially a 1998 duet between two men reflecting Lin’s acceptance of his sexuality, was devised before gay marriage was legalized. For the revival, Lin has recast the duet with a male and a female dancer, and hopes audiences will pay less attention to the dancers’ genders. “Love is larger than that,” he said.

Traces of Brush premiered in 2004, the year Lin married Kenneth Metzner and settled in Philadelphia. It abstractly explores the concepts of beginnings and eternity through its use of calligraphy, an art form Lin learned as a child growing up in Taiwan. Metzner will read the accompanying poem, by Myrna Patterson, at each show.

For the first time, a KYL/D home season will feature world premieres from two of its dancers, a nod tothe company’s future. Tasked with responding to Yuyu Yang’s Dragon’s Shrill in the Cosmic Void — a minimalist, reflective sculpture at New Jersey’s Grounds for Sculpture — Evalina Carbonell focused on sound to create Shrill, and Weiwei Ma on shape to create Dragon. Both works continue Lin’s tradition of conveying Asian philosophical themes through Western dance techniques.

Through a quarter century, Kylin’s Garden has evolved from a solo work representing Lin’s personal ambition to a performance that reflects the company’s mission.

“We’re celebrating the ability of the collective to support an individual vision in a way that keeps growing and growing,” said Carbonell. “We’re celebrating the many different voices that live within our artistic director and each one of us.”

KYL/D will perform at Drexel University’s Mandell Theater on Fridayat 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. A Q&A session will follow the Saturday matinee show, and a reception will follow the Saturday evening show. Tickets are $25-$75, and a live-streaming option is available. Masks are recommended but not required in the theater. kyld.org/2023