"Legacy of the Phoenix," a dance concert showcasing Chinese folk, classical and modern dances this week at Hawai'i Theatre, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Phoenix Dance Chamber, a Hawai'i-based dance school that has brought awareness of China's cultural diversity to thousands of people over the years.

Founding dancers and guests will share the stage with current members of the Phoenix Dance Chamber in "a move from past to present of dancers," said Diane Letoto, founder and director of the Phoenix Dance Chamber.

Organizers want audience members to feel as though they've been transported to a theater in China, said Karen Lau Matsunaga, a Kapahulu resident who's been a member of the dance group for three years.

The dances will depict traditional themes: dancing in a bamboo forest, milking cows on grasslands and celebrating a good harvest are among the stories to be told.

"They will see our dancers, women and men, in exquisite costumes and props designed and sewn in China for our dance group," Matsunaga said. "There will be a variety of dances — the classical traditional forms as well as ethnic folk dances from the rural villages of China — showcasing the dancers' gracefulness, flexibility and acrobatic skills."

Phoenix Dance Chamber is a dance school for children, teens and adults who come from all backgrounds and ethnicities.

"One of the things that we've been about is an international cross-section of dancers interested in Chinese dance," Letoto said.

The school trains dancers in the style of late professor Liu Youlan, who was ethnic folk dance specialist of the Beijing Dance Academy. Letoto trained with Youlan for nearly 20 years.

In addition to classes in technique and dance, students receive scholarships for cultural exchange tours to China. The exchange tours include interaction with dancers in professional institutions in Beijing, Shanghai and Kunming, as well as opportunities to participate in folk dances in rural villages of provinces such as Guizhou and Szechuan, and in neighboring Mongolia.

Phoenix Dance Chamber also offers scholarships to its students to participate in the North America Chinese Dance Competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, the largest Chinese dance competition in North America. The competition allows students to be exposed to other Chinese dance groups, as well as to showcase Hawai'i's dance talent.

The dance school, which started with five members, has about 30 students today. The group performs about three or four times a year through public and private venues.

Over the years, the group has not only benefited its own students by helping them connect to the Chinese culture, it has also made contributions to the greater community, said Roger Liu, a director with the Hawai'i Foundation for Chinese Culture and Arts, a nonprofit established for the appreciation of Chinese heritage in the community.

"It gives them an introduction to the dance culture, the dance genre of the various groups in China," Liu said.

The Phoenix Dance Chamber is an affiliate of the Hawai'i Foundation for Chinese Culture and Arts, which is sponsoring the event.

"I'm hoping that especially for the first-time goers, that when they come to the (concert) they will walk away with the realization of the diversity of dance forms, 'dancescape,' cultures and people," Letoto said.