The Love of China School of Chinese Dance

All photos on this website are copyright The Love of China unless otherwise noted.

The Love of China School of Dance, located in northwest Austin, gives young people the rare opportunity of learning traditional Chinese dances, with students of ages spanning from four to eighteen.

Our studio is located at 8863 Anderson Mill Road #116 (new location!). Click here for full mailing address.

The school is well known in the Austin area and has performed at countless cultural events as well as its own recitals, always in front of packed theaters. The Love of China was honored by the Austin Police Department for their numerous community service performances.

Also, the group has done shows with Splendid China, a nationally-renowned dance troupe from China, and has sponsored performances by a dance group from Taiwan.

Our school commits itself to teaching Chinese folk dance. The two missions of our school are:

To serve the Chinese American community as an organization of maintaining the cultural heritage.
To introduce Chinese culture to American society through dance performances.

Through their education in Chinese folk dance, the young people grow in determination and confidence, and are given a chance to connect deeply with their heritage, be part of unforgettable experiences, and gain pride for their culture.

Emily Dedear: founder and teacher of The Love of China

Emily Dedear began teaching Chinese dance in Austin in 1992, and officially founded The Love of China School of Chinese Dance in August of 1999. She grew up in Taiwan, where she trained in numerous different forms of dance, including traditional Chinese. She is a graduate of Chinese Culture University in Taiwan as a dance major. She specializes in Chinese folk dance, Kung Fu for Chinese Opera, ballet and so on; she is also an expert at both stage performance and dance pedagogy.

In 2008 she received the Flying Phoenix award from the National Dance Association of R.O.C. at a presentation in Taipei.

2008 Flying Phoenix Award

You can meet our Teaching Assistants here!

Some of our projects are supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

NEWS (most recent at top)

Fall 2023 class registration in progress
Posted 7/30/2023

Registration is now in progress for our Fall 2023 classes. You may find a schedule here and registration forms here.

Year of the Rabbit: TLOC Chinese New Year 2023 performances
Posted 1/20/2023, updated 3/4/2023

We received many performance invitations for Chinese New Year. You may find details on our Performances page.

The Love of China Commended on 20th Anniversary by Austin's Mayor Steve Adler
Posted 3/18/2019

Mayor Adler commended The Love of China for twenty years of contribution to the abundant and diverse arts in Austin, saying that it has been a real asset to Austin. For twenty years, we have served the Chinese American community in both maintaining cultural heritage and introducing Chinese culture to Austin through dance.

Click on the image of the letter to see a larger version.

March 31st proclaimed "The Love of China Day" by Austin's Mayor Steve Adler
Posted 3/18/2019

In honor of our 20th anniversary recital on March 31st, Austin's Mayor Steve Adler has proclaimed that day as "The Love of China Day". We will celebrate by performing our biggest program ever! Be there to celebrate with us, and bring your friends and family!

Click on the image of the proclamation to see a larger version.

Teaching Opportunities at The Love of China
Posted 3/5/2019

If you are a professional dance teacher who is passionate about teaching any style, we are interested in talking with you. Though our primary focus is Chinese dance, we have also offered classes and workshops in hip hop, ballet, and ballroom dance. Contact us about how you might bring your own passion to The Love of China!

The Love of China wins competition prize, performs at San Antonio Spurs game
Posted 2/3/2019

The Love of China School of Dance competed in the Spurs Sports Academy Annual Dance, Drill & Pep Competition on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Of 23 competing teams, The Love of China placed fourth, earning the right to perform at the opening of the San Antonio Spurs game that evening. Congratulations, Ribbon Dance girls!

Click the photos to see larger versions.

Upcoming performances
Posted 9/12/2018

We have several performances coming up soon. For details, see our Performances page. Please contact us for more information.

City Hall Performance
Posted 8/21/2016

TLOC students performed at City Hall in Austin for the Asian-American Quality of Life Celebration & Volunteer Recognition event. Here is our photo with Austin's Mayor Steve Adler.

Studio Space Available for Rent
Posted 11/11/2015

When not oterwise in use, our studio space is available for rent. Please contact us for more information.

Our raised dance floor is designed with the proper degree of absorption and resilience. Specifically designed for dance, it is comprised primarily of foam, wood and air.

The floor surfacing is a calendared vinyl consisting of a complex ‘sandwich' providing a slip resistant surface. This covering is used on the finest dance floors world wide.

Emily Dedear Receives NAAO Community Leadership Award
Posted 8/9/2010
The Love of China's director, Emily Dedear, received one of three 2010 Community Leadership Awards presented by the Network of Asian American Organizations at its 2010 Induction Ceremony held on July 28th. Speakers at the event included Austin's Mayor, the Honorable Lee Leffingwell (who also received a 2010 Public Service Leadership Award at the event) and Former US Ambassador to the UN Sichan Siv.

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