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Yidi Lin is a dance artist, choreographer, performer, and educator whose career bridges China and the United States. She began her professional career in China as a hip-hop dancer in 2006, teaching and performing nationally. In 2010, she founded a dance company in Guangzhou to promote the fusion of hip-hop and contemporary dance, establishing herself as one of the pioneers in blending genres and cultures in China. Lin earned her Master of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in 2016. In the spring of 2017, she taught and choreographed at Penn State Altoona. She currently serves as Tenured Associate Professor of Dance at CWRU, following a tenured faculty appointment at Jacksonville University.
Lin鈥檚 original works have been commissioned and presented at leading festivals and venues worldwide, including the Beijing Dance Festival in 2018 and 2019, at the State Theater in Cleveland鈥檚 Playhouse Square Dance Showcase in 2024, the Isadora Dance Festival in Moscow in 2025, Guangdong Modern Dance Festival and the Martha Graham Studio Theater in New York to name a few. Her choreography spans contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop; her creative work also extends to musical theater productions, including Cabaret and In the Heights. As a performer, Lin has appeared in numerous ensemble and solo roles at international festivals and theaters. Highlights include performing at the Beijing Dance Festival, the Brazos Dance Festival at Texas A&M University, and the Florida Theater with Jacksonville Dance Theater. She was featured in an aerial duet Into the Wind by Karen Potter and has danced works by renowned choreographers such as Mark Morris and Larry Keigwin. Some high-profile events in which she participated include the Table of Silence at Lincoln Center in New York and the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Guangzhou.
A highly sought-after guest teacher and workshop leader, Lin has taught modern, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and voguing at institutions and festivals across the United States, China, and Europe. She has led master classes for Ningbo University, China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, Florida State College at Jacksonville, and the American College Dance Association, among many others. Lin is frequently invited to train teachers and emerging artists in teaching methods and advanced choreography methods. Her creative leadership extends to adjudicating international dance works and dance film festivals. Through her performances, choreography, and educational outreach, Yidi Lin continues to be an active part of the global dance community.