By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Finding a Chinese burlesque dancer, Coby Yee past age 90, would count as interesting enough. But finding Coby Yee sharp-witted, brave, and still dancing past age 90, then chronicling her farewell tour through Chinatowns spread far and wide—that’s the task Chinese American filmmaker Luka Yuanyuan Yang found herself faced with.
“In 2018, I received an art residency from the Asian Cultural Council to research Chinese women in performing arts in the 20th century,” recalled Yang, whose documentary on Yee, “Chinatown Cha-Cha,” plays the Admiral Theater in West Seattle on May 18, as a presentation of the STArT Film Studio.
“I learned about San Francisco’s Chinatown nightclub history through Arthur Dong’s 1989 documentary ‘Forbidden City USA.’ After connecting with the Grant Avenue Follies, [a group of San Francisco senior citizens performing cabaret], online, I met Coby at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. It was an instant connection—I knew immediately that I needed to make a documentary about her and the Follies. Their experiences illuminated this crucial yet overlooked chapter of Chinese American history.”
Yang, born in Beijing, started out as a teenage musician in her city’s underground music community.
“Being part of Beijing’s underground music scene as a teenager, particularly performing in a shoegaze band, shaped my artistic vision. The experience of live performance and being part of that creative community led me to explore other forms of artistic expression. This journey from music to visual arts helped me understand how different art forms can intersect and complement each other.”
But a steady diet of classical films, including Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “After Life,” Mamoru Oshii’s “The Sky Crawlers,” and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Tropical Malady,” got her hooked on visual storytelling. She moved to London at 18 to study photography at the London College of Communication.
“I work across documentary film, photography, installation, and performance,” she elaborated. “My practice involves weaving together documentary footage with archival materials. Through these different mediums, I explore themes of identity, migration, and memory, challenging conventional historical narratives and amplifying overlooked voices. Each medium offers unique possibilities for storytelling, and this multidisciplinary approach enriches my documentary work.”
“Chinatown Cha-Cha” and its related short film, “Coby and Stephen Are in Love,” emphasize Coby Yee’s boldness, verve, and place in history, but also her long-running romance with fellow dancer Stephen King (no relation to the writer by that name).
“What struck me most was Coby’s incredible energy and positivity at 92,” said Yang. “She had this amazing ability to look forward rather than dwell on the past, maintaining such warmth on stage. I was also fascinated by the cultural exchange networks I discovered through their stories—particularly the connections between San Francisco and Havana’s Chinatowns through touring opera troupes and film distributions. This revealed a rich, forgotten history of cultural resilience and adaptation.
“The project presented both professional and personal challenges. Professionally, I had to weave together multiple layers of history—from personal stories to broader cultural narratives. What began as a planned video installation evolved into a full documentary, when I realized that was the only way to fully capture their beauty and charm. Personally, I became a mother during post-production and overcame cancer before the film’s release. But the Follies and Coby were such inspiring subjects—their positivity gave me strength during these challenges.”
Sadly, Coby Yee, who made it to age 93, died not long after Yang completed her feature film. “The news hit me deeply,” remembered Yang. “Surprisingly, one week later, I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter. As Coby’s daughter said through tears, ‘this is the cycle of life.’ It felt like a profound connection between endings and beginnings.”
Asked about the essential meaning of “Chinatown Cha-Cha,” Yang said she wanted audiences to understand how the nightclub era of San Francisco’s Chinatown represented both cultural constraints and creative resistance.
“These performers found ways to express themselves artistically despite racial discrimination and limited opportunities. Through documenting their stories and performances, we’re not just preserving history but actively engaging with it. Their continuing performances today show how cultural heritage can be kept alive and reinterpreted across generations.”
“Chinatown Cha-Cha” shows May 18 at the Admiral Theater, located at 2343 California Avenue South West in West Seattle, as a presentation of the STArt Film Studio. Director Luka Yuanyuan Yang and producer Lou Wang-Holborn will take questions after the screening.
For more information, visit https://www.chinatownchacha.com.