danny dong

Last month, a group of Utah teenagers came home from China, where they had performed on university stages in Suzhou, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Huai’an, Beijing and Shanghai. They danced for audiences who did not share their language, alongside Chinese dancers who shared their love of the arts. In between the performances came the moments no one choreographed: shared meals, halting conversations, small gifts and host universities that welcomed our kids like their own.

Four asteroids bear the names of people from Zhenjiang — a distinction that Paris, New York, and London cannot claim Few cities in the world can claim four asteroids named after their sons and daughters. Paris cannot. New York cannot. London cannot.

The Utah Youth Dance Troupe performs during the "River and Dance" special performance at Jiangsu University. This marked their fifth visit to the university. American and Chinese students engage in dialogue at the U.S.-China Youth Forum, Jiangsu University, June 2026. Nanjing University students present Chinese dances at a dance exchange event with U.S. peers, June 13, 2026.