Museum of Chinese in America launched its inaugural Performing-Artist-In-Residence program in summer 2023, and welcomed a cohort of 4 performing artists to generate a theme-based project. This year’s theme, The Past in the Present, encourages the resident artists to explore the legacies and traditions they’ve carried on and to create a project that reflects their identity, creativity, and inspirations.

MOCA Performs – Emergence Pt. 2 is the second and last presentation of resident artists’ works-in-progress throughout their residency. In this presentation, resident artists will present the current version of their projects and share their next steps for the projects. Audience will have the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with the resident artists on the projects, and learn about the cultural significance behind each of resident artists’ works.

In this presentation, Theatre Artist/Filmmaker Nancy Ma will present an interactive performance piece, This Body Was Made for Bleeding, which explores memory and legacy through the mapping of her relationship to her immigrant mom.