Established in 1966, Chung Ngai Dance Troupe is a non-profit, non-political organization with a 501(c)(3) status. Our mission is to promote and preserve Chinese culture in the United States through performing arts. In addition, Chung Ngai offers opportunites for members and volunteers alike to participate in events such as the Chinese New Year parade. In the process, participants learn about Chinese culture and gain experience in performing arts. Chung Ngai is a organization run solely by our members. And as many of our members are college students or younger, the skills that are developed provide solid foundations for the rest of their lives.

Chung Ngai History

     Chung Ngai originated from the Chung Lau Drama Club. Our original focus was traditional Chinese folk dance. Chung Ngai's original members were girls from the St Mary's school and the Chinese Methodist church. In the summers of 1968 and 1969, the auditorium of Commodore Stockton Elementary School (now Gordon J. Lau Elementary) was rented, and the club performed two shows a day, charging 75 cents per admission.

     The club's activities expanded to lion dancing in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Our teacher and mentor, Felix Yee, passed down his knowledge of lion dancing, spawned from his experience in Cantonese opera. The club's reputation grew and strengthened during that period due to Felix's tutelage. Chung Ngai, in turn, developed into one of the premier lion dance troupes.

     Since the 1970's, Chung Ngai has been a staple unit of the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade. We are widely known for our outrageous drum emsembles. We have performed a drumset with as many as eight drummers drumming at once.