Li Chiao-Ping Dance

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'Here Lies the Truth' by Li Chiao-Ping Dance.

'Here Lies the Truth' by Li Chiao-Ping Dance.

The multidisciplinary, mixed-media dance theater work Here Lies the Truth comes to an end with these performances on the UW campus after having premiered at the Overture Center in 2022 and been performed across the country in the time since. The piece tries to get at whatever “the truth” may be in terms of “race, power, access, equity and positionality.” This collaboration from choreographer Li Chiao-Ping, composer Tim Russell, dramaturg Cláudia Tatinge Nascimento, and visual artist Douglas Rosenberg includes theater, live music, spoken word and film, incorporating documentary footage from the 2020 George Floyd protests. Performances at 8 p.m. Feb. 5-6 and at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7; a talkback is scheduled after Thursday night’s performance. 

media release: The UW-Madison Dance Department and Li Chiao-Ping Dance (LCPD) present the final performances of HERE LIES THE TRUTH, a multidisciplinary, mixed-media dance theater work, February 5-7, 2026, at the Margaret H'Doubler Performance Space, Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Avenue, Madison. 

HERE LIES THE TRUTH investigates "the truth" as it relates to race, power, access, equity and positionality. The work, a collaboration among director/choreographer Li Chiao-Ping, composer Tim Russell, dramaturg Cláudia Tatinge Nascimento, and visual artist Douglas Rosenberg, blends raw physical theater, live music, spoken word, and cinematic projections to share personal accounts of discrimination and resilience.

Through hyperbole, absurdity, vulnerability and radical acts on stage, dance artists JP Alejandro, Katelyn Altmann, Elisa Hildner, Cassie Last, Cuauhtli Ramirez Castro, Mariel Schneider, Abbi Stickels, and Rakhi Winston perform their truths, share their stories, and are seen in their identities. The choreography incorporates documentary footage of the 2020 protests, grounding the performers’ physical expression in contemporary history. 

There will be a post-concert conversation immediately following Thursday’s performance and a reception in the Virginia Harrison Parlor, Lathrop Hall, immediately after Friday’s show.

ABOUT THE WORK

Originally premiered at the Overture Center in 2022, HERE LIES THE TRUTH is an hour-long multidisciplinary dance theater work that has been presented across the U.S. in Wisconsin, Hawaii, California, Minnesota, and Nevada. Choreographed by Artistic Director Li Chiao-Ping, this work is a collaboration with visual artist Douglas Rosenberg, sound designer/composer Tim Russell, and dramaturg Cláudia Tatinge Nascimento to challenge audiences to confront the dissonance between institutional narratives and lived experiences. By stripping away "half-truths," the production seeks a deeper understanding of justice and community. Li Chiao-Ping Dance continues to investigate the themes of privilege and race and is currently creating a documentary about the making of this work. REEL IN DIFFERENCE, is currently in production, and is scheduled for release in Fall 2026. 

CONTENT ADVISORY

This performance contains descriptions of racial violence and discrimination.

Purchase tickets at the Campus Arts Box Office, 1st floor Memorial Union, 800 Langdon Street, by phone at 608-265-2787 or online at artsticketing.wisc.edu $25 general admission and $19 students and seniors. Tickets can also be purchased at the door one hour before the performances. Saturday’s performance will have an in-person and livestream option.

This concert was made possible in part by Altrusa International of Madison, Fund for Children administered by the Madison Community Foundation, Dane County COVID Relief Fund, Dane County Nonprofit Assistance Fund, Dane County Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, The Evjue Foundation Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation Inc., and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dance Department, the OVCRGE, WARF, and Vilas Trustees, Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest; National Endowment for the Arts; and LCPD's Circle of Friends. Photos of HERE LIES THE TRUTH were taken by Christal Wagner.

Li Chiao-Ping Dance (LCPD) has produced athletic, emotionally charged contemporary works that explore themes of culture and identity since its founding in 1990, in Madison, WI. LCPD is a resident company of the Overture Center for the Arts, stages three major annual performances, and brings workshops and programs across North America. Artistic Director Li Chiao-Ping, praised by the New York Times, Washington Post Village Voice, Dance Magazine, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Bay Guardian for her trademark physicality and "marvelously imaginative" vision, creates layered, multi-disciplinary pieces that combine striking visual design with contemporary music. Beyond the stage, this non-profit organization fosters community through its "Dancing Through Life" philosophy, offering K-12 residencies, professional mentorship, and movement workshops for seniors. From prestigious venues like The Kennedy Center, as well as Jacob’s Pillow, Bates Dance Festival, ADF, DanceNOW, Highways, Links Hall, Dance Place, Symphony Space, DTW, Joyce SoHo, P.S. 122, ODC Theater, Theater Artaud, CounterPulse, Danspace Project/St. Mark’s Church, Roulette, LCPD pushes the boundaries of contemporary dance to promote health, tolerance, and life-long learning for diverse populations of all ages.