Christine Cheng, founder and choreographer of White Heron, was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s.  She took a particular interest in sign language and began studying it over 10 years ago.  Eventually she incorporated the use of sign language to communicate the hymns and songs of  her faith via the Presbyterian Church of the South Bay, who provided her with a studio in which she could teach fellow church members. Eventually the use of sign language to express hymns evolved into the integration of choreographed dance.  Ms. Cheng began to volunteer her time and opened her teaching that fuses signing with elegant, ballet movement to the Southern CA Taiwanese community. She founded White Heron in the South Bay area.
White Heron regularly performs for the hearing impaired, children with autism or developmental illnesses and seniors in nursing homes.  They also lead sign-language and praise dance aerobic programs for health and fitness at faith based events in and around the South Bay. Their students include businessmen and seniors through age 80.  The average age of her students is 55 years old and most have had no previous sign language or dance experience. Her form started as a way to express Christian hymns and songs, and has grown to include contemporary and popular Taiwanese and Mandarin songs interpreted through sign language.  She has developed a unique choreography that is performed both for the hearing impaired and for general audiences and has been invited to perform in various parts of the U.S. and in Canada.