Abandoned Universalism: Shen Wei and His Early Transnational Dances

This paper examines the under-researched pivotal career moment of Shen Wei (沈伟, b.1968, last name Shen and first name Wei), one of the most renowned Chinese American dance artists in the West, when he traveled from China to the United States for the first time in 1995 and his unacclaimed early career in New York from 1995 to 2000. Based on primary sources, I compare the divergent conceptualizations of universalism in China and the United States, as embodied in Shen’s choreographies and as manifested in the contrasting receptions of his works by Chinese and American critics. Building on existing dance scholarship on universalism and situated at the intersection of Asian studies and Asian American studies, this paper explores how Shen’s choreography of universalism convinced Chinese critics but discouraged American critics from recognizing the significant value of his art. I question the United States as a neutral platform for artistic freedom and propose that Shen must perform according to the expectations of American society—the “dress code” for Asian artists—to gain acceptance and success. In so doing, I challenge the intent that primarily examines Shen based on his widely acclaimed works. The “failures” that Shen experienced in his career contain the same, if not more, research value as his “successes.”