Before Lil Buck Dances With Madonna at Super Bowl, Watch Him Dance in China | Asia Society

Before Lil Buck Dances With Madonna at Super Bowl, Watch Him Dance in China

February 3rd, 2012


Street dancer Charles "Lil Buck" Riley in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. (Asia Society/Michael Zhao)

On Sunday, millions of people will watch professional street dancer Charles "Lil Buck" Riley [Twitter] dance with Madonna during the Super Bowl halftime show.

But why wait until Sunday? Last November, Lil Buck was one of 16 American cultural figures — including Maryl Streep, Joel Coen and Yo Yo Ma — who traveled China to participate in the four-day U.S.-China Forum on the Arts and Culture, organized by Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations.

Below, please find two of our favorite Lil Buck moments from the trip caught on tape. Enjoy.

BEIJING, November 2011 — While Lil Buck was visiting the Coal+Ice exhibition at Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, he spontaneously performed to LYNX's "Burning Bone" in front of the large 14-meter-wide projection screen after hooking his iPhone up to the sound system.

BEIJING, November 2011 — Lil Buck and Yo Yo Ma perform "The Swan" at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

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About the Author

Profile picture for user Dan Washburn

Dan Washburn is Asia Society's Chief Content Officer. The Financial Times named his book, The Forbidden Game: Golf and the Chinese Dream, one of the best of 2014.