Michael Thomas joined NTID Theatre as an Assistant Professor and Artist-in-Residence of Dance in 1988. He directed and choreographed a musical collage representing the struggle for democracy in the People's Republic of China, titled Tiananmen Square. This piece was the highlight of the RIT Dance Company's performance.
History of Tiananmen Square:
The Tiananmen Square protests were student-led demonstrations in 1989 advocating for democracy, free speech, and a free press in China. The movement began in April 1989 following the death of Hu Yaobang, a former Communist Party leader known for supporting democratic reforms. As students mourned Hu, they also called for a more open and democratic government.
Thousands of people eventually joined the students in Tiananmen Square, with the crowd growing to tens of thousands by mid-May. The peaceful protests ended in a deadly crackdown by the Chinese government on June 4 and 5, 1989—an event now known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
We apologize that the NTID Performing Arts Archive does not have photos of this production.
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