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Asian American dance company closing after nearly 20 years in Philly

When Asian American dance company Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers was in its early days and based out of New York City, interim co-executive director Ken Metzner said it was hard to put down roots. 

"As you can imagine, we never had our own space, and we were renting an hour here, an hour there," Metzner said. "... There was always a lot of competition for space in New York, and never was it possible for us to imagine owning a space where the dance company could be based and create and rehearse and build community. So that was what really attracted us to Philadelphia."

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The group was founded in 1998 by Kun-Yang Lin and slowly transitioned to Philadelphia before making a permanent home on South 9th Street in 2008. But after nearly 20 years in South Philly, Lin and Metzner, who are married, announced they would be closing the dance company at the end of its spring season in March. 

They said the decision was largely to spend more time with family.  

"In the life journey, sometimes we have a different calling of responsibility," Lin said. "This decision is taken from several cues and the cue that's the most important is both of our parents are aging." 

Lin created the company while working as a dancer in New York City after a group of dancers who knew his work said they wanted to perform with him. In 2003, he was recruited to teach dance at Temple University and moved to South Philly while continuing to commute to New York a few days a week. He eventually befriended Philadelphia artist Isaiah Zagar, the creator of Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, and spent a few years operating out of the Painted Bride Art Center before moving the company to 1316 S. 9th St., where it's remained ever since. 

Metzner said Lin's work is a powerful connector to audiences, who often describe it as spiritual. Lin is as a Taiwanese immigrant and his performances often feature multicultural influences that embody a sensitivity to being an outside, Metzner said. 

"People feel that the work invites them to go on their own journey of self-discovery because it is abstract and it employs dance artists who are highly trained professionals," Metzner said. "There's a lot of craft, but there's a lot of room for interpretation."

The company has also opened the space for others to hold dance and movement classes, and they've spent a lot of time cultivating their relationships with the community and fellow artists. Zagar created a mosaic and painted murals on the back of the building along Percy Street. Another artist came along in 2016 and created the LED mural known as [Electric Street](https://whyy.org/articles/electric-street-lights-up-overlooked-alley-with-color-possibility/). 

As they move into their next chapter, Metzner and Lin said they think their work will continue, although in a different form. 

"When you talk about the legacy in this, all my students, all my dancers, even my audience, I know when they feel that pulse through our movement, I think the story will continue going, and even the pulse will continue," Lin said.

Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers will hold a benefit show on Nov. 8 at the Performance Garage at 1515 Brandywine St. Its final performances will take place March 27-28 at Drexel University's Mandell Theater.

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