Grace Chang is a multi-talented performer and writer. She was the ringmaster and star illusionist of the world-renowned Peking Circus, the Chinese equivalent of Cirque du Soleil. Grace has appeared on stage and screen in both China and the United States. Her U.S. film credits include The Joy Luck Club.
Grace was born in Beijing, China, into a family of famous entertainers. The Chang family is listed in the Who’s Who encyclopedia of China and has been bestowed with the honorary title of “Cultural Treasure of China.” At a young age, Grace learned the art of magic/illusion from her grandfather, Chang Lianan (常连安) often in the courtyards of the Forbidden City.
As a little girl, she often sat with her father while he wrote his shows, and dreamed of becoming a writer herself one day. She is the author of Jin Jin the Dragon, which was inspired by a bedtime story that she used to tell her son. Now a book series, Grace has brought Jin Jin to life not only in her children's books but as a puppet at her book readings and performances.
Currently, Grace is working on a theatrical production based on the life of her grandfather, Chang Lianan (常连安), who established the Qi Ming Teahouse in Beijing. The teahouse was instrumental to the continued the legacy of Chang family entertainers, and served as a springboard for many burgeoning entertainers.
Grace has also spent many years helping families to adopt babies from China and estimates that she has placed over 2,000 in the U.S. Grace lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.
