This video was prepared as a sample for a Local Learning program and offers a glimpse into one way Tai Chi and fan art can be brought together for learning and cultural exploration.
Tai Chi & Fan Art
Movement, Culture, Creativity, and Shared Learning
About the Program
Tai Chi & Fan Art is a cultural learning experience that brings together Tai Chi movement, Chinese fan art, creativity, and shared exploration.
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Through movement and art, participants are invited to experience Chinese culture in an active, thoughtful, and accessible way.
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The experience can take many forms. It may be a simple introduction to Tai Chi and fan art, or a deeper exploration combining movement, traditional Chinese culture, visual art, and conversation.
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At its heart is a simple idea:
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Learning can happen through the body, through making, and through sharing an experience with others.
A Project with a History
Tai Chi & Fan Art grows from earlier work developed through Fan Your Talents, a community-based project that brought together Tai Chi, fan art, movement, creativity, and cultural exploration.
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Through workshops, community activities, performances, and exhibitions, Fan Your Talents explored the Chinese fan as more than an object used in movement. It became a way for people to create, participate, discover, and share their own talents.
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The project was designed to create a welcoming space where people of different ages and levels of experience could come together and take part in a journey of creative exploration and self-discovery.
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If you would like to learn more about the background and development of this work, you are welcome to explore the Fan Your Talents project.
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The Teaching Artist
Tai Chi & Fan Art grows from my work as a Tai Chi teacher and Teaching Artist.
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In addition to teaching Tai Chi, I bring movement, traditional Chinese culture, and visual art into educational and community settings.
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The work connects Tai Chi practice with cultural learning and creative exploration.
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For educators and organizations who are meeting me for the first time, you may also wish to learn more about my work through New York Folklore, where I am included in its Teaching Artist network as a Hudson Valley Tai Chi teaching artist.
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What the Experience Can Include
There is no single format for Tai Chi & Fan Art.
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Depending on the people, setting, and purpose, an experience may include:
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an introduction to Tai Chi movement
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simple Tai Chi practices
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exploration of the Chinese fan as an object of movement and art
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Chinese fan art
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painting or calligraphy
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creative activities
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cultural conversation
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observation and reflection
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connections between movement, art, and Chinese culture
The emphasis is not on producing a particular artistic result or mastering a complicated Tai Chi routine.
Instead, participants are invited to slow down, pay attention, move, create, and discover.
Who Can Participate?
Tai Chi & Fan Art can be experienced at Tao Tai Chi Studio by a wide range of participants.
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Families, individuals, friends, community members, and groups are welcome to explore the experience at the studio.
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The program can also be adapted for:
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children
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teens
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adults
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older adults
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mixed-age and intergenerational groups
The studio provides a quiet and personal environment for learning together.
Educational, Cultural, Community, and Wellness Programs
Tai Chi & Fan Art can also become part of a broader educational, cultural, community, or wellness program.
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I especially welcome conversations with:
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schools and educators
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museums and cultural institutions
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arts and cultural organizations
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community organizations
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wellness and healthy-living groups
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other organizations whose work connects with meaningful learning, culture, creativity, or well-being
The intention is not to offer a standard activity package.
Instead, the program is considered in relation to the people involved, the setting, and what the organization hopes participants will experience.
At Tao Tai Chi Studio
Tao Tai Chi Studio is the home of this work and offers a quiet, personal setting for Tai Chi, fan art, and cultural learning.
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Because the studio is a small teaching space, programs held at the studio are generally best suited for small groups of up to eight participants.
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Individuals, families, friends, and small groups are welcome to explore Tai Chi & Fan Art at the studio. Educational and cultural organizations are also welcome to consider a studio-based experience when the group size and program are a good fit.
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For larger groups, or for organizations with particular educational or cultural goals, an off-site program may sometimes be considered. These possibilities are explored individually according to the group, the setting, and the purpose of the program.
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The studio remains a quiet and supportive environment where participants can learn, move, create, and experience Chinese culture together.
When an Off-Site Program May Be Considered
For educational, cultural, community, and wellness organizations, a customized program may sometimes be considered at the organization’s location.
Because my primary teaching takes place at Tao Tai Chi Studio, off-site programs are considered selectively.
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I first look at the purpose of the organization, the purpose of the program, who will participate, the learning or cultural context, and the setting.
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An off-site program is therefore not simply a mobile version of the studio experience.
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It is considered as a possible educational or cultural collaboration when the purpose and setting are a good fit with the direction of Tao Tai Chi Studio.
A Program Designed Around the Group
A program may be as simple as a focused one-hour experience, or it may develop into a longer cultural program.
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Depending on the group, it may combine:
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Tai Chi
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Qigong
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Chinese fan art
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movement
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calligraphy
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painting
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Chinese cultural exploration
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conversation and reflection
The length and format can be adapted according to the group.
There is no single format that needs to be followed.
Program & Tuition
Tai Chi & Fan Art programs are customized to the group, setting, purpose, and length of the experience.
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For a general sense of tuition, you may also wish to explore our Private Group Tai Chi & Qigong Training, where current studio-based group tuition provides a useful reference for private group learning.
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Off-site programs are considered separately. Tuition may vary according to the program’s goals, format, location, preparation, and travel requirements.
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Please note: Tai Chi & Fan Art programs are different from our lighter Tea & Tai Chi experience offered at Tao Tai Chi Studio.
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We begin with a conversation to understand your group and determine the most appropriate format and tuition.
Begin with a Conversation
If you are considering Tai Chi & Fan Art for your school, educational program, museum, cultural organization, community group, or wellness program, I invite you to begin by sharing a little about what you have in mind.
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I will first learn about your group, your setting, and the purpose of the experience.
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From there, we can consider whether a studio-based program, an educational or cultural collaboration, or another format would be appropriate.
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There is no commitment at this stage.
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Educational & Cultural Program Inquiry
If you represent a school, educational program, museum, cultural organization, community organization, wellness group, or another related organization, please use the Educational & Cultural Program Inquiry form.
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[Begin an Educational & Cultural Program Inquiry →]
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The form helps me learn about your group, the setting, the type of experience you are considering, and whether you are interested in meeting at Tao Tai Chi Studio or exploring another setting.
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Submitting the form simply begins a conversation. It does not guarantee enrollment, a consultation, or an off-site program.
What Happens Next?
After receiving your inquiry, I will read it carefully and respond by email.
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If the idea appears to be a good fit, we can continue the conversation and consider what kind of experience would make sense for your group.
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Sometimes the best setting may be Tao Tai Chi Studio.
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Sometimes an organization may have a strong reason for exploring an off-site program.
And sometimes, after learning more, we may decide that another format would be more appropriate.
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The purpose of the conversation is simply to find the right fit.
A Note About This Work
Tai Chi & Fan Art is part of the broader cultural and educational direction of Tao Tai Chi Studio.
The intention is to create meaningful opportunities for people to encounter movement, culture, creativity, and one another.
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Whether the experience takes place at Tao Tai Chi Studio or develops into a collaboration with an organization, the foundation remains the same:
movement with attention, cultural learning with respect, creativity with openness, and learning through shared experience.
Explore Further
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[Teaching Artist Profile — New York Folklore →]
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[Educational & Cultural Program Inquiry →]
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Tao Tai Chi Studio · New Paltz, NY
How to Begin
You are welcome to begin in the way that feels most natural for you.
Option 1 — Email
Recommended for educators and organizations
If you are planning a school visit, community program, or cultural event, email is often the most practical way to begin.
Follow
Option 2 — Short
Online Conversation
Not sure where to begin? That’s perfectly fine.
You can simply share what you’re exploring, and we can find a natural next step together.
Planning for a school, museum, cultural organization, or community group?
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A glimpse into a shared learning experience through Tai Chi, movement, fan art, and the reflections of participants.