Event
The Professor: Tai Chi's Journey West
The Professor: Tai Chi’s Journey West is the first major feature documentary about Tai Chi and one of its greatest masters, Cheng Man-Ching, a man who brought Tai Chi and Chinese culture to the West during the swinging, turbulent 60’s.
Though Cheng is an important transformational figure, his teachings have been overlooked.
This documentary film tells the story of his remarkable life and features Tai Chi as a martial art and a spiritual practice. Over the past decade, the filmmakers shot approximately fifty hours of footage in New York, North Carolina, and California.
Starting at 6:30 PM, Chung Yueh-Ching, Founder and Director at Heights of Wellness will demonstrate Tai Chi Quan and Tai Chi Sword forms. Stay after the film to hear Ching talk about the history of Tai Chi as a martial art and spiritual practice plus Q&A!
About the artist
Chung Yueh-Ching, Founder and Director, Heights of Wellness
Educated in Taiwan and the U.S., Ching has studied extensively with some of the finest master teachers in Qigong, Taijiquan, Stott Pilates, Massage, and Dance. Chung, Yueh-Ching was formerly a professional modern dancer, teacher and choreographer. She was on the dance faculties of the University of Hartford Hartt School of Music, Dance and Theater, the Academy of Performing Arts High School and the School of the Hartford Ballet for 18 years.
Her concern for people's health and well-being subsequently influenced her to switch her focus from dance performance and teaching to health improvement through both eastern and western techniques.
A former student of Aaron L. Mattes, Ching is a highly qualified instructor of Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), a unique approach to increasing range of motion developed by the internationally recognized Aaron L. Mattes. Ching's commitment to ongoing education in all areas of health and well-being prompted her to become proficient in both eastern and western approaches wellness. She has studied Qigong and Taijiquan with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, world-renown for his work in the martial and healing arts. These complementary, traditional oriental exercises and practices emphasize the connection between the physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual, and Ching teaches them in a style that is simple, direct and thorough.
"East engagingly meets West in "The Professor: Tai Chi's Journey West," an affectionate documentary portrait of Cheng Man-Ching, the Chinese master who brought Tai Chi to New York during the groovy but stressed-out '60s."
