But he later decided to ask Asian-American leaders for the Nov. Yeager’s initial reaction was to say the company was “very sorry for the reaction to their appearance” while denying the incident was in any way racist. Troupe members wearing Chinese silk dresses and Asian conical hats had folded their hands in front of them, bowed, hopped and made goofy, exaggerated gestures - perpetuating stereotypes that mock Asians. More than a dozen groups and individuals had signed a petition after Odyssey’s Nov. “That’s the main thing we were shooting for. It’s not an altogether authentically Chinese dance - it is a hip-hop adaptation of “The Nutcracker,” after all - “but at the same time, it’s not problematic,” Yeager said. But during the meeting, the Asian-American leaders “had some great suggestions,” he said - which led to changes in that part of “ReduxNut-Cracker,” an update of “The Nutcracker” that features everything from ballet to hip-hop, modern dance to tap. Yeager had been anxious to show that the offensive segment on KSL didn’t represent the dance performance. I’m not really schooled on how to deal with things that happen like this.” … I’ve never been through something like this before. “Being branded a racist is a difficult thing to get through. ![]() The meeting “was difficult at times,” Yeager said. ![]() Odyssey founder and artistic director Derryl Yeager showed them the backdrops and the costumes for “ReduxNut-Cracker,” the production the dancers had been promoting on KSL-TV, and the dancers ran through their number. “It’s sad to see people are so easily offended these days,” its Facebook page huffed, after objections that its dancers hopping and bowing in Chinese silk dresses in a November television appearance had promoted old stereotypes.īut Odyssey eventually asked leaders of Utah’s Asian-American community for their help. Odyssey Dance Theatre initially didn’t think it owed anyone an apology.
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