Museum of Chinese in America's Performing-Artist-In-Residence program welcomes performing artists to generate a theme-based project. This year’s theme, Declaration of Independence, encourages the resident artists to interrogate what it means to be 'American,' to see self-determination, or to stake a claim to visibility, freedom, and belonging. During this program, the resident artists will present works-in-progress and share the creative vision behind their projects. PRESENTER: Fortune Cookie, burlesque performer/writer/producer. PROJECT: Reincarnating the Past through Storytelling and Burlesque. Inspired by traditional Chinese storytelling’s circular structure, where transformation unfolds through unexpected turns rather than direct conflict, blending narrative and performance to bring the past into intimate dialogue with the present. In this presentation, Fortune Cookie will share an excerpt from a short story inspired by Jadin Wong and Mabel Lee. Following the reading, a five-minute burlesque performance inspired by Wong’s signature “Moon Goddess” dance and Lee’s iconic appearance in New York City’s 1912 suffrage parade.