Korean Folktales in Contemporary Dance
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month is in full swing. This month is here to celebrate and recognize the contributions and influence that Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have on the culture in our society. We got the chance to have blog contributor MiYoung Margolis share a story about a Korean folktale that influenced her choreography for her dance company. Read on to learn more about MiYoung’s piece and to learn more about Korean culture!
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor & MiYoung Margolis
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month is in full swing. This month is here to celebrate and recognize the contributions and influence that Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have on the culture in our society. We got the chance to have blog contributor MiYoung Margolis share a story about a Korean folktale that influenced her choreography for her dance company. Read on to learn more about MiYoung’s piece and to learn more about Korean culture!
MiYoung Margolis: “I have presented the original Contemporary Korean Fusion pieces inspired by Korean folktales.
Once again, I would love to talk about “One World” through the Korean Contemporary fusion dance piece since I deeply feel that is what we all need especially after the pandemic.
To me, living in this one world together means ‘Love’. And as we all know, love is all you need.
Embracing our unique heritage, while celebrating our common life journey. Though we all come from different backgrounds, We can come together to create a beautiful performance.
In my choreography, I enjoy blending Eastern to Western and Western to Eastern. To create a fusion of cultures and a performance we can all connect to.I am proud to present an original Contemporary Korean Fusion piece that once again draws from my Korean Heritage
and borrows from another Korean folktale:
Photo courtesy of www.miyoungmargolis.com
The tragic love story of So-Hwa, A Court Lady, who’s unreturned love for the king, left her waiting forever and dying alone. Her remains transformed into the imaginary flower, the “Trumpet Creeper” which to this day, still waits for the king’s return. This story is told by a diverse cast of extremely talented dancers for the screen dance film version. Kang-He and Christie are professional Korean dancers. Parmida is a professional dancer from Iran, with incredible upper-body movement and control. And the amazing Tatiana with her legendary High Kick and professional ballet and contemporary dance background.
I am so glad to be able to bring these dancers together to tell So-Hwa’s story.”
MiYoung performed this piece on May 21st at ACES: Artists of Color Expo & Symposium. We are so happy to have MiYoung share the wonderful story behind her amazing performance! Keep an eye out for more information on future performances on her instagram here! MMDC performs again May 28th at PRIDEASIA.
Sources:
The Story of a Studio Born Out of the Pandemic
It’s no secret that many small businesses suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and dance studios were no exception. Amid growing dance studio closures, those eager to move were left without a space to practice and without instructors to learn from. In the face of these challenges, local dance instructor and artistic director Mija Bishop founded Flight Feathers, a dance studio aimed at helping each individual dancer sore. Stay tuned to Flight Feathers’ Instagram for details about its June production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Mija Bishop on Helping Dancers Soar at Flight Feathers
By Madison Huizinga, Former DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Truman Buffett
It’s no secret that many small businesses suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and dance studios were no exception. Amid growing dance studio closures, those eager to move were left without a space to practice and without instructors to learn from. In the face of these challenges, local dance instructor and artistic director Mija Bishop founded Flight Feathers, a dance studio aimed at helping each individual dancer sore. Stay tuned to Flight Feathers’ Instagram for details about its June production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Influenced heavily by her family, Mija began dancing around age six. Her father was a ballet teacher as well as the owner of a ballet studio. “I was a little goof-off when I was little!” Mija laughs, sharing that she often got kicked out of class for being disruptive. It wasn’t until around age 13 that Mija began focusing on her dance training a bit more seriously. Throughout middle school and high school, she tried to get involved with as many ballet-related workshops, programs, and performances as she could.
Nonetheless, Mija shares that she eventually got burnt out and quit dance after high school for three years. “I kind of had this all-or-nothing mentality,” she says of how she viewed her involvement with dance. After three years, Mija found herself missing the dance scene. When she found an opportunity to get back involved, she jumped on it. “I’m really grateful for that chain of events that brought me back to dancing again,” she says. Today, she’s going on her tenth year of teaching dance, which has been a big part of what she’s loved about her dance journey.
“I've always enjoyed the movement,” Mija says, sharing her love for dancing to beautiful music. She appreciates the artistry behind dance and being able to feel so present with herself and her body. “There’s something really freeing about just being able to completely immerse yourself,” she says. Mija also appreciates her dance community, as well as the discipline and structure of ballet, particularly the ability to assess herself.
Photo by Thomas Hopkins
Mija shares that in her personal life, a challenge she’s faced in dance is grappling with the “perfect ballet body.” She never felt like she fit the ideal image of a ballerina, pointing out that she is shorter in stature and has shorter limbs. “People of Asian descent might relate,” she shares of people who share the same racial identity as herself. Mija says that growing up as a dancer she felt pressure and received comments about staying within a certain weight and not gaining “extra” muscle, as it would corrupt her lines. It wasn’t until after high school that she realized that cross-training and weight training were key to helping her gain strength as a dancer. “That’s something that I have been enjoying for myself and also been able to share with my students,” Mija says of cross-training, sharing that it can help dancers gain a better sense of ownership over their bodies and physical capabilities. Learning to train one’s body to gain strength rather than training to look a certain way is a healthier and more sustainable practice.
Flight Feathers was established in May of 2021 so that Mija could safely continue working with dancers during the COVID pandemic. “I was just really devastated having to say ‘good-bye’ to so many dance families,” she says of the studio she had taught at closing. She decided to take a “big leap of faith” to provide community members with access to dance classes amid COVID. Flight Feathers has mainly focused on ballet this year, but Mija is eager to expand the studio to offer jazz, hip hop, and contemporary.
“The intention behind both the name and the program is to create an environment where each student can grow and explore their own unique needs through ballet,” Mija says of the mission behind Flight Feathers. “I feel like there are just so many different ways to shine and soar,” Mija says, connecting the notion to a flock of birds. “I really hope to provide each student with [a] unique experience that will make them grow.”
Dance accessibility is something important to Mija. She shares that going into the second year of her program, she would love the chance to connect with people and find ways to make dance more accessible to people, particularly in the financial sense. Mija's vision is starting to take shape, as she has recently been connected with The Cobb Foundation Northwest Founder and President Margaret Cobb. The foundation currently funds and creates opportunities for underserved children, including music and tennis lessons, LEGO robotics workshops, and a book giveaway program. Margaret and Mija are in the process of adding ballet to one of the Foundation's offerings. She is excited about the opportunity to team up with Margaret and provide a positive dance experience to a wider range of kids through the organization.
Photo by Andrew Lucio
Excitingly, Mija has recently moved operations to a new studio space in Woodinville, Washington. “It’s still a little bit unreal!” she says, sharing that she’s incredibly grateful for the support she’s received from her husband and dance families
Follow Flight Feathers’ Instagram to stay up-to-date on all their upcoming shows and more!
How to Cultivate Inclusivity in Food and Dance Work
Perfectionism is a challenge that Mindy has experienced in the dance world as well. Her biggest challenge as a dancer has been countering those perfectionist ideals by accepting herself as she is each day. As a “recovering perfectionist,” Mindy shares that it’s a journey: some days it’s a lot harder, some days a lot easier, and other days it’s somewhere in between. She encourages others struggling with perfectionism to practice self-compassion, directing the kindness they offer to others towards themselves.
Certified Nutritionist Mindy Lu on Challenging Fatphobia in Dance Classrooms
By Madison Huizinga, Former DWC Blog Editor
Photo by AJ Ragasa
Similar to many mainstream dance spaces, the world of nutrition and eating disorder care has not been entirely welcoming to people from marginalized communities. This exclusivity, rooted in ideals of white supremacy and colonialism, can put up many barriers for people trying to receive eating disorder treatment and educate themselves on nutrition. At Sunrise Nutrition, nutritionists and therapists are cultivating a space that invites all people into food and body work, fostering a “nonjudgmental approach that celebrates the diversity of each individual.” Read on to learn more about Clinical Director, Therapist, & Certified Nutritionist Mindy Lu’s dance journey and the philosophy behind her work at Sunrise. And stay tuned to Sunrise Nutrition’s social media, as workshops will be coming up this summer, specifically for dancers.
Growing up, Mindy gravitated toward art, learning to play various instruments, but performance art always felt out of reach for her. After high school, a close friend of Mindy’s pushed her to take a drop-in dance class and she fell in love with it. “It’s never too late to start something that you’ve always wanted to do,” Mindy says to adults who want to try dance for the first time. She shares that she enjoys being able to perform and share the stage with others, as well as be a part of a choreographer’s vision. “One of my favorite things about performing is the energy,” Mindy gushes. She shares that she participated in a lot of local dance projects before getting more involved with teaching. Mindy loves being able to see the “sparkle” in students’ eyes when they feel engaged and proud of what they’re learning.
Mindy shares that teaching dance requires instructors to “give” so much of themselves to their students. After a while, feeling the need to focus on her own relationship with dance, she stepped away from teaching. This led to Mindy taking an extended break from dancing entirely. This year, she’s recently returned to dancing as a student and has been enjoying it immensely.
Mindy has always been interested in nutrition as well, specifically how to fuel and take care of her body. She points out that there is often a hyper fixation on the size and shape of dancers’ bodies in the dance world. “I really struggled with that for a lot of my 20s,” Mindy says. She decided that if she learned more about the science behind food, she could learn how to eat in a way that made her feel her best.
Mindy earned her MS in Nutrition & Clinical Health Psychology from Bastyr University. The more that Mindy learned about food, the more she learned that food is much more than something people eat. “It’s about the culture that we live in, the messages that we receive about food…and our bodies,” Mindy shares. “The reality of it is that we live in a really unkind culture that benefits off other peoples’ oppression.”
Following graduation, Mindy started working in eating disorder treatment. She voices that standard eating disorder care is “really rooted in white supremacy and colonialism,” sharing that the field is predominantly white-centered and heavily gendered and can promote harmful ideas regarding binaries and ultimatums. There’s an assumption, perpetuated by mainstream media, that white, thin, cisgender women are the only ones experiencing eating disorders. In reality, people of all races, genders, body sizes, religions, nationalities, and more experience eating disorders.
“I want to practice in a way that invites marginalized communities into this work,” Mindy shares of the idea behind Sunrise Nutrition. “Eating disorders don’t discriminate.”
Being a second-generation Taiwanese American in a white-dominated field, Mindy shares that she’s experienced a lot of racism in the realm of nutrition and eating disorders. She says that she’s had to do a lot of self-advocacy and advocate for her clients.
In addition, being a child of immigrants, Mindy shares that she feels a high drive to achieve, which can fester into perfectionism. This extreme level of perfectionism is something she’s constantly trying to challenge for herself and for her clients. She strives to promote autonomy and agency within those she works with, as those are attributes she values herself.
Perfectionism is a challenge that Mindy has experienced in the dance world as well. Her biggest challenge as a dancer has been countering those perfectionist ideals by accepting herself as she is each day. As a “recovering perfectionist,” Mindy shares that it’s a journey: some days it’s a lot harder, some days a lot easier, and other days it’s somewhere in between. She encourages others struggling with perfectionism to practice self-compassion, directing the kindness they offer to others towards themselves.
Something that Mindy hopes to see challenged in the dance world is weight stigma and fatphobia. “I think there needs to be more education around how we’ve constructed these messages about our bodies and how harmful it is when we internalize this idea that there are certain bodies that are more valuable than other bodies,” Mindy says. Creating more size-inclusive spaces in the dance world is an important part of bringing this change to fruition. This can start with building awareness and education about what fatphobia in the dance community looks like and acknowledging thin privilege, identifying what accountability may look like, and figuring out actionable steps community members can take to create size-inclusive spaces.
This summer, Sunrise Nutrition will be offering workshops specifically for dancers, including one dedicated to “creating a body positive dance classroom.” Dancers can check out Sunrise Nutrition’s social media, including Instagram and Facebook for updates.
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
A Local Dancer On Storytelling and Building Community Through Dance
Alex Ung shares that when people ask about his nationality, he often uses an umbrella term, like sharing that his family is from Laos, rather than diving deeper into his more specific tribal culture of the Tai Dam. “It was just easier,” Alex says. “Immigration Stories” provided Alex with an opportunity to share more about his culture, in an effort to “not let it disappear into history books” and simultaneously help write history. “We’re a small tribal culture that not a whole lot of people know about and so I wanted to bring that to light,” he says of the Tai Dam people.
Alex Ung on Cultural Representation and the Guild’s Plans for 2022
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Karya Schanilec
Art has the power to move people in ways unimaginable. Through creating and performing dance works, choreographers and dancers have the power to express their emotions and connect to their cultural backgrounds and local communities. Alex Ung of the Guild Dance Company opens up about sharing his familial and cultural background through dance, bolstering community, and the Guild’s plans for 2022. Be sure to catch the Guild’s show “El Camino” and their performance at the Seattle International Dance Festival in June.
Alex was born and raised in Iowa, where he began dancing in high school in the show choir and competition scene. But Alex shares that his dance career didn’t start until college when he began working with the hip hop club at Iowa State University. “I think that’s where it really hit me that I really love to dance,” he shares.
When Alex moved to the Seattle area, he began teaching hip hop at a dance studio on Bainbridge Island, where he worked for over a decade. He eventually broadened his scope into jazz, contemporary jazz, and contemporary ballet styles, and also began directing the competition dance team. Alex has worked with other dance studios and companies in the Seattle area, including Jeroba Dance.
Alex says that dance has stuck with him largely because he has a tough time expressing his emotions and thoughts through words. “I feel like I can do it a bit better with my body [and] with my movement style,” he says of emoting. Having earned a degree in engineering, Alex also shares that he has an appreciation for the aesthetics of lines and shapes in dance and witnessing the physical challenges that the body can endure. He loves the feeling of doing something physical that he didn’t think he could do and surprising himself.
In 2018, Alex founded the Guild Dance Company after taking a break from teaching. He shares that he had missed creating dance and wanted to jump back into the choreographic world to tell his own stories in his own style, as well as learn from other dancers. “I thought building my own dance company would be a good way to do that,” Alex says, sharing that the Guild has become a place for dancers to build each other up.
“For me, the Guild is about the community and learning and experiencing each other,” Alex says. He loves being able to express himself and be vulnerable alongside the rest of the company dancers.
In 2019, the Guild Dance Company performed “Immigration Stories,” a show inspired by Alex’s family’s experience immigrating to the United States from Laos. Following high school, Alex and many of his relatives that were his age felt like their traditional culture was dying, as many of them were not making efforts to learn their family’s language or carry out traditional cultural activities. “It felt sad to me,” Alex shares. “I wanted to create a work that could help people understand where my family was coming from, where we came from in the past, and where we are right now.”
Alex shares that when people ask about his nationality, he often uses an umbrella term, like sharing that his family is from Laos, rather than diving deeper into his more specific tribal culture of the Tai Dam. “It was just easier,” Alex says. “Immigration Stories” provided Alex with an opportunity to share more about his culture, in an effort to “not let it disappear into history books” and simultaneously help write history. “We’re a small tribal culture that not a whole lot of people know about and so I wanted to bring that to light,” he says of the Tai Dam people.
Through interviewing his family and others, Alex realized how fortunate he is to be doing what he loves as a result of the sacrifices and risks his family made. He also learned that people from different cultures shared similar immigration experiences, which sparked inspiration. He found it so meaningful to find that people aren’t alone in their challenges and that community can be an invaluable form of support.
Amid the rise of hate crimes against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex reflected on the racism he and his family had experienced in Seattle and elsewhere and felt angry. “I wanted to express my frustration and my experience with what was going on,” he says. So Alex brought together a group of dancers of color to create a video surrounding the theme of “Stop the Hate, Stop the Injustice.” An important co-producer in the process was local artist Alicia Mullikin, a first-generation Mexican American dance artist, educator, and community organizer. Alex shares that the project was a way for community members from various cultural backgrounds to come together and express their feelings of frustration and hurt regarding the rising hate crimes and common struggles they experienced.
Photo by Stuart Murtland
In the dance community, Alex hopes to see more dancers supporting one another, specifically by attending one another’s shows. “We’re all in the same bubble,” Alex shares, pointing to how Seattle-based dancers all face similar challenges, particularly finding funding to create work.
Moving into the next year, the Guild is planning to put on “El Camino,” a music and dance production made in collaboration with the Tudor Choir inspired by the pilgrims that traveled on the iconic Camino de Santiago. Alex drew inspiration for the production after walking on the trail himself, and undergoing what he describes as a “life-changing experience.” He was enamored by the people he met and the towns he passed through, learning about the different intentions of people embarking on the journey. Stay tuned to the Guild Dance Company’s website for more information about show dates!
The Guild Dance Company also plans to perform in the 2022 Seattle International Dance Festival this June, tickets are available here.
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Dr. Miguel Almario on Holistic Teaching and PT Care
“I would like to see a lot more empathy towards the culture and the people that created the dance,” Miguel says of a change he hopes to see made in the larger dance industry. He shares that many of the people who created dance genres like hip hop and breaking are still alive and accessible to dancers, yet their contributions can get drowned out. More focused on physicality, Miguel also hopes to see more dancers treating and training their bodies like the athletes that they are so that they can keep dancing for as long as they can. “You’ve got to put that work in so that you can keep going,” he shares.
On Offering Cultural Competency and Wellness Services
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Adam Gatdula
Having a full appreciation and understanding of the history and mechanics of dance requires more than just time in the studio. Dancers like Dr. Miguel Almario are providing community members with the cultural context behind their movements and access to compassionate and individualized physical therapy services. Read on to learn more about Miguel’s dance journey in the freestyle and commercial space, teaching programs at The Arete Project, and PT services at MovementX.
Miguel started exploring breaking his junior year of high school when his younger brother encouraged him to give it a try. He joined a local dance troupe called Culture Shock DC, a non-profit dance organization in the Washington DC area aimed at community outreach. Miguel’s passion for dance grew immensely. He says that one of the things he loves most about dance is that one person’s artistic expression can differ so much from another’s. “I have the freedom to find my voice and my style of movement,” Miguel shares.
He later ended up competing on the TV show America’s Best Dance Crew on MTV in Los Angeles, California. “That was a time where I was like ‘I can make something of this,’” Miguel says of the turning point in his career. After competing on TV, Miguel shares he started focusing on dance in a more professional capacity, as prior to the show, he hadn’t experienced any “formal” training. Growing up, outside of Culture Shock DC, Miguel practiced dance in his friends’ basement and in his school’s cafeteria, often ordering VHS tapes of competitions to study and draw inspiration from.
After some time, Miguel decided to take a break from dance and returned home to DC from LA. He shares that this was a time in his life when he deeply pondered what kind of life he was going to lead. “I always knew I wanted to be working with people,” Miguel says. Eventually, he landed on pursuing physical therapy, sharing that both of his parents were physicians which greatly influenced him. He thought PT could provide him with the opportunity to bridge the worlds of dance and physical medicine.
While in PT school, Miguel danced with a dance team in Boston, Massachusetts, where he underwent rigorous training. After graduating from PT school, he moved back to Los Angeles to work as a physical therapist and dancer.
Photo by Adam Gatdula
Following his experience in the traditional physical therapy clinic setting, Miguel realized he was interested in working in a role that allowed him to make stronger, more intimate connections with his clients. That’s when he got connected with MovementX, a physical therapy provider that offers in-person and virtual treatment that is adaptable to clients’ varied lifestyles.
“I work with a lot of dancers,” Miguel says of his PT work at MovementX, sharing that he serves all kinds of clients, including those recovering from minor or major injuries, those looking to improve their ability to move or perform, or those who feel generally physically limited in one way or another.
Miguel shares that his dance experience has been unique, as he has trained in more community-oriented, freestyle, breaking spaces, and has had heavy exposure to the more commercial world as well. Miguel’s wife Niecey Almario is also a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Today, Niecey and Miguel Almario teach a variety of courses together in Seattle through The Arete Project. Miguel shares that he and his wife collectively offer a holistic dance experience, informing people of the cultural context behind movements and how certain techniques can apply to different professional settings, like on a dance team or in a music video.
Photo by Adam Gatdula
Honoring the cultural roots of different styles of movement is of the utmost importance to Miguel. For example, he shares that hip hop and street dance have roots in Black American communities and that it’s important for people to know this to understand and appreciate the art form more fully. Miguel shares that learning the history behind dance styles like hip hop has made him realize that this art form he partakes in is much bigger than him as an individual.
“I would like to see a lot more empathy towards the culture and the people that created the dance,” Miguel says of a change he hopes to see made in the larger dance industry. He shares that many of the people who created dance genres like hip hop and breaking are still alive and accessible to dancers, yet their contributions can get drowned out. More focused on physicality, Miguel also hopes to see more dancers treating and training their bodies like the athletes that they are so that they can keep dancing for as long as they can. “You’ve got to put that work in so that you can keep going,” he shares.
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
The Division of Self, the Division of Identity
How we are defined is important. It helps tell the world our values, our morals, and our interests. But who makes that definition? Do we set the parameters ourselves by means that we dictate? Or is it determined by our background, heritage, and childhood?
As with most things in life, I suspect it’s a little of everything. There are factors we cannot control that play insurmountably in how we are viewed, including skin color, eye shape, and our parent’s socio-economic status. But there are other things that ebb and flow with our own desires like our morals, our interests, and the places we go. And then there are things that just happen, random events that you may not even realize are significant until ten years later when you look back at your life and realize that one seemingly meaningless decision, event, or person, changes the trajectory of your whole life.
Trigger Warning: Racial Slurs Used in Context, Mental Health
By Ethan Rome, DWC Director of Marketing
How we are defined is important. It helps tell the world our values, our morals, and our interests. But who makes that definition? Do we set the parameters ourselves by means that we dictate? Or is it determined by our background, heritage, and childhood?
As with most things in life, I suspect it’s a little of everything. There are factors we cannot control that play insurmountably in how we are viewed, including skin color, eye shape, and our parent’s socio-economic status. But there are other things that ebb and flow with our own desires like our morals, our interests, and the places we go. And then there are things that just happen, random events that you may not even realize are significant until ten years later when you look back at your life and realize that one seemingly meaningless decision, event, or person, changes the trajectory of your whole life.
Looking back at these things in my own life, it’s easy to point out why I made certain decisions. However, in those moments, there is no way I could have known why. As most people do, I make decisions in the present based on factors that I think I have set. But ten years from now, I’m certain I will realize that it could not have been any other way. We could go on for days dissecting every detail, but today I want to focus on a particular one. In light of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I want to speak about one of the most prominent factors that has created a division in my own self.
I am half Korean and half Scandinavian. Which in my life has meant I am not enough of anything to anyone. Everyone sees me as an “other.” I cannot count the number of times a White person has asked me, “so are you Chinese or something?” Or the number of times an Asian person simply won’t speak to me until I’m able to gently assert my own Asian-ness (by somehow slipping it into the dead conversation, or saying “thank you” in Korean). Or the number of times someone of any race has said “so what are you?” I have been called both “chink-eyes” and “the white boy.” Growing up, I can only remember having one mixed-race friend and recall often wishing I could “just be normal.” There was a period of my life when I tried to pass (as singularly White). People would ask me, “So what are you?” I would reply “I’m normal, you know White.” I can confidently say now that White does not equal “normal.” There is nothing wrong with being White, but we can’t allow it to be the standard to which all other races must be compared. You are not irregular or weird because of your skin tone, culture, or ethnicity.
Everywhere I go, I feel left out or pushed aside by the people that I feel look like me or think like me. Feelings of dismissal and ostracization can lead to serious disorders. Studies have shown that people of mixed race “were the most likely to screen positive or at-risk for alcohol/substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and psychosis” (Imposter Syndrome in Multiracial Individuals). Because of this, I have always longed for a community that I felt I belonged to, but that also one that wanted me.
Due to this longing for community I have always tried new clubs, sports and activities. When I went to college, I was still searching for that sense of belonging. Therefore, I searched through the college club directory and decided to try breaking (or breakdancing). The intensity and uniqueness of breaking was reminiscent of watching Bruce Lee, one of the few male Asian icons in American culture. I saw something of myself in those bboys. Thus began my dance journey.
The breakers, and breaking in general, were very welcoming. They themselves came from all kinds of backgrounds, some grew up breaking, some only started a year ago, most were self-taught, all of them were glad to teach what they knew and have a conversation. This was likely aided by the fact that they were all so different from each other, dancers were Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, White, Black, and Hispanic. It was possibly the most diverse group on campus in terms of race/ethnicity. During this time, my feelings of unease or dismissal subsided, it does not matter what you look like when everyone looks different from the person standing next to them. However, being mixed raced is a unique beast that may slumber, but never dies.
During my time as a bboy, I also started to take classes in the Dance Department, ballet and modern specifically. Entering into the Dance Department came with the shock of the technical details of classical dance, as well as the fact that I was pretty much the only Asian person in the department, and one of the few people of color. I was suddenly back to being an “other.” Dancers are largely open-minded and accepting people. But even well-intentioned people might not notice their microaggressions, or don’t understand why calling me a “ninja” is maybe not the compliment they think it is (ninja are Japanese, I’m Korean, ninja were also often viewed as individuals without honor, assassins sent to do the dirty work and were shunned for completing the tasks given to them). My newfound passion in modern created the next division of my identity. Was I a breaker, or was I a modern dancer? For many reasons I chose to finish my degree in dance, and attempt a career as a “modern dancer.”
Moving to Seattle was a significant change in many ways, and it too was just a random event that happened to happen. Living in Seattle opened the door of contemporary dance. Contemporary has its own confusing and mixed background. Did it come from the lyrical/contemporary world? Did it come from the contemporary ballet world? Is it neither? Is it both? Perhaps it's because of this ambiguity that I became so enamored with it. It is almost a blank canvas, to be determined and designed by me. It is a place where I can express myself fully. I can utilize my classical training, I can incorporate my breaking origin. There is no one to tell me what I am or can do as a contemporary artist. I can use my art to express any idea I want such as my Korean heritage.
This piece was created in response to the recent outbreak of anti-Asian hatred
After moving here I also started to feel that I wasn’t quite as much of an outsider. They are still relatively few, but I have met more Hapa (a Hawaiian word meaning “half,” it has been co-opted by the half/mixed-Asian community and has its own controversy behind it) here than in the rest of my life combined. It has been wonderful to connect with others like me and to learn that I was not alone. I do not think the answer to solving this problem is simply to have more mixed raced babies, in fact, that too can be problematic; “We could have such beautiful babies'' is a terrible thing to say, reduces someone to their race, a singular part of their identity, and tokenizes certain races. It’s another example of a micro-aggression and how people often don’t understand that their “compliment” is actually quite demeaning.
So what can we do?
You can help by taking a moment to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Your compliment may be an insult to someone else (one man’s trash…). Do they understand that you meant to compliment them? Do you understand the cultural context you might be implying? Allow others to be themselves, accept them for who they are and let them demonstrate to you how they wish to be treated. Authentic representation also tells people they matter and shows them they are not alone. If you are multi-racial, then be yourself! If it is a part of you, don’t try to hide it, it very likely won’t work anyway.
If you feel you are an “other” I encourage you to take a deep breath, you are not alone. It may take time, it may be painful, but you can find ways to connect if you keep pushing yourself. Remove yourself from your ego, from notions of who you or other people think you need to be or should accomplish. Do not be afraid to enjoy something simply because other people look down on you for it, they probably just don’t understand it well enough. Your community might not look the way you envision it now, in fact, it is very likely to look entirely different, but it is out there. Alan Watts once said, “So don't worry too much, somebody's interested in everything. And anything you can be interested in, you'll find others will.”
Looking back at it now I see that there was really no other way, I was never going to fully be a bboy, I was never going to fully be a modern dancer; I will never be fully Asian nor fully White, I always have and always will be split. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. I am more empathic, more understanding, and more accepting because of it. And I am a significantly more unique artist because of it. I learned to see the strengths of my divisions. My only regret was how long I tried to hide and failed to see how my uniqueness can define my positive attributes as well as the negatives.
Looking back at it now I am grateful for my own confusing and mixed background.
Designing Leotards With an Eye Towards Comfort
At one time or another, most dancers have worn an uncomfortable, ill-fitting leotard. Donning awkwardly fitting dancewear can be so distressing that it can feel like it has real impacts on one’s dancing. If you’re not feeling confident, how can you expect to move confidently? That’s why Alina Khoo has created AK Dancewear with the motivation to produce flattering and comfortable dancewear that helps dancers feel their best in the studio.
Alina Khoo on AK Dancewear’s Mission
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Marlen Alimanov Photography
At one time or another, most dancers have worn an uncomfortable, ill-fitting leotard. Donning awkwardly fitting dancewear can be so distressing that it can feel like it has real impacts on one’s dancing. If you’re not feeling confident, how can you expect to move confidently? That’s why Alina Khoo has created AK Dancewear with the motivation to produce flattering and comfortable dancewear that helps dancers feel their best in the studio.
Alina grew up in Penang, a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia. She began taking ballet classes around age nine to help correct a posture problem she was facing. Alina trained under the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus as a child, continuing until her posture was eventually corrected. She stopped dancing when she went to college. “It was very difficult,” Alina says of quitting dance, as her family desired her to focus her attention on pursuing a conventionally “stable” or “secure” career. She ended up traveling to the United States to pursue an engineering degree and eventually secured a technical information job.
“All along, I enjoyed being in the audience,” Alina says, sharing that she loved viewing as many dance performances as she could. At one point, she began especially missing dancing herself. Alina chose to take some dance classes at a local college and was encouraged by her instructor to pursue it further. So, she decided to earn a teaching certification and get involved with the dance scene little by little, beginning with teaching freelance and as a substitute for friends. After having her second child, Alina decided to leave her corporate job, directing more of her attention towards raising her children and dancing. She’s been dancing and teaching with a local company ever since, getting involved with its shows throughout the season.
“It’s always good to find that inner connection,” Alina says of rediscovering dance. She shares that the moment she returned to dancing, the technical knowledge felt like it came back quickly. “Just walking into a studio, I find that connection, and that security is like a sanctuary for me.”
Alina has always felt like she doesn’t have a “typical” ballerina body, as most of the dancewear products she purchases off the shelf don’t fit comfortably for her. “I do a lot of mending,” she says of the dancewear she purchases. Fortunately, sewing is second nature to Alina, as her grandmother sewed everything growing up. Alina began buying clothing items, including leotards she liked and altering them to fit her body. Eventually, people in her life began asking her where she was purchasing her clothes.
She began selling her custom creations, mainly to friends and parents from her dance studio and later on Etsy. After attending a dance workshop in New York City and receiving inquiries about her leotards from even more dancers, Alina got even more into creating dancewear. She and her husband decided to look more into the process of creating a brand.
click below to shop the look:
AK Dancewear launched in 2018 with a mission to never compromise on product quality. “We strive to make non-revealing, high quality and comfortable to wear garments,” the brand’s website reads. “Whatever I do, I will never compromise how comfortable the leotard [is],” Alina says. “Dancewear is for people,” she says, implying that dancers should feel secure in their leotards, and not like they are being “worn” by the garment. This is a philosophy Alina carries throughout her brand.
In addition to focusing on comfort, Alina is greatly inspired by nature when it comes to selecting colors and design concepts for her various leotard lines. For example, the “Caribbean” line of leotards contains various shades of blue and green tones, inspired by the vivid colors of the Caribbean skyline. The “Rose Garden” line of leotards, skirts, scrunchies, and face masks was inspired by the Tyler Rose Garden, in Tyler, Texas, the largest public collection of roses in the United States. Alina recalls taking her parents to the garden and them being enamored by the masses of blooming flowers. “It just inspired me a lot…I always remember [that] trip,” Alina shares. “The new things that I’m going to come out with were inspired by an experience, somewhere that I go, [or] something that I feel a connection to.” She points out that design is largely subjective, so she feels drawn to create what connects to her as an individual.
Alina identifies parallels between choreographing dances and designing leotards. Both artistic endeavors involve the need to learn foundational skills, like basic dance techniques and sewing. After you get a hang of the core semantics, you’re free to create whatever you want.
click below to shop the look:
Alina is uninterested in putting the majority of her energy into producing copious amounts of new products, rather she seeks to lean into what works for the dancer and expand from there. If she notices a leotard cut that most dancers like, she’s interested in seeing how she can improve upon it and create new iterations.
In 2022, AK Dancewear plans on releasing new collections and introducing a new fabric that provides a lot of support to dancers, in addition to its signature AKxtra™ design technique. Within the existing leotard collections at AK Dancewear, Alina loves creating variety in terms of color, design, and theme, so customers can also look forward to that in the coming year as well. Alina is also looking more into producing dancewear for men, as she has two sons who dance and struggle to find attire that works for them. “It’s heartbreaking that we don’t have enough for them,” she shares. She looks forward to being able to help bridge the gap in men’s dancewear in the future and look more into producing unisex dancewear that provides support to all dancers.
In the larger dance world, Alina is pushing for dancers to receive greater compensation for their work. “We should definitely value dancers more as artists,” she says. Alina points out that she makes an effort to involve local dancers in her business, specifically with photoshoots, as a way to move towards this change on the local level. “As a community, we should move forward with that - first, by paying our dancer friends,” she says. “This is an expertise that you’re tapping into, and you should pay [for the] expertise.”
Caring for Ourselves as Dancers of Color
As a chunky Asian baby in a leotard, I had no idea yet how precious or valuable I was when I started in ballet. Instead, I only saw that I was clearly not cut from the same cloth as elegant princesses and swans whose dancing I admired. The chance to don yellowface in the Chinese variation during "The Nutcracker," or to be a kowtowing, shuffling child in "The King and I" in the school play felt like places I was welcome to exist—to shine—as a child who dreamed of being onstage.
By Gabrielle Nomura Gainor
Gabrielle Kazuko Nomura Gainor (she/her) is an artist, writer, and Asian American community activist. In addition to working in communications/public engagement at Seattle Opera, she's received grants from Seattle's Office of Arts & Culture and the Washington State Arts Commission. In 2021, Gabrielle has been proud to serve as a mentor and Teaching Artist with TeenTix.
Counterclockwise from top left: Gabrielle Nomura Gainor, surrounded by Dominique See, Alyssa Fung, Siena Dumas, and Hailey Burt in Farewell Shikata ga nai; Joseph Lambert photo. Christopher Montoya en pointe. Vivian Little smiles. Robert Moore jumps; Tracey Wong photo.
May was both Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. But as we move into summer, remember that our wellbeing as dancers of color is something to prioritize all year round.
As a chunky Asian baby in a leotard, I had no idea yet how precious or valuable I was when I started in ballet. Instead, I only saw that I was clearly not cut from the same cloth as elegant princesses and swans whose dancing I admired. The chance to don yellowface in the Chinese variation during "The Nutcracker," or to be a kowtowing, shuffling child in "The King and I" in the school play felt like places I was welcome to exist—to shine—as a child who dreamed of being onstage.
Many years later, I see that I deserved so much more than to beg for scraps in the form of sidekicks and ethnic stereotypes. Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color deserve so much more. We need not silence the parts of us that are “too much” for white norms, be it too ethnic, too dark, too curvy, too loud. White people do not own dance—not even ballet. As former Dance Theater of Harlem ballerina Theresa Ruth Howard taught me, these precious art forms belong to all of us, as well.
Now, at the end of Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, remember that prioritizing our mental health—our wholeness, joy, and humanity are year-round activities. Every month is for our “history” or our “heritage.” With that in mind, I bring you five personal reflections on what it means to care for ourselves mentally and emotionally as People of Color in dance. Hear from Christopher Montoya (formerly of Ballet Trockadero, Dance Fremont Managing Director), Dr. Sue Ann Huang (co-director of The Tint Dance Festival), Alicia Allen (former dancer with Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, and Shakira to name a few), Robert Moore (formerly of Spectrum Dance Theater), and Vivian Little (retired ballerina and Dance Fremont founder).
Photo courtesy of Christopher Montoya
Find an environment where you can thrive
For Christopher Montoya (he/they), not having the right body type was a stressor that only compounded on top of being brown, gay, and working-class. Eventually, Montoya discovered their truth as being gender-non-conforming, and would often feel pressure to pass as straight in order to be hired for dance jobs. Finding an encouraging ballet teacher who embraced Montoya’s authentic self, and then discovering a community in Ballet Trockadero were defining moments.
“Going into Trockadero is really where I found myself,” Montoya said. “The dancers were Australian, Venezuelan, Spanish, Mexican, Black, Asian. We all felt like misfits because we didn’t fit into this binary mold of ballet. Trying to pass as a straight man always felt so fake and defeating. But here, I got to be me.”
From Montoya’s experience, taking time to situate oneself in a supportive dance environment is crucial. (For some, this could mean choosing a Black-led dance school or a class taught by a teacher of color). If the environment is unsupportive, it could be time to leave or look elsewhere.
Sue Ann Huang and Arlene Martin. Joseph Lambert photo
Divest from that which does not serve you
Dr. Sue Ann Huang (she/her) not only co-founded an event centering BIPOC, Tint Dance Festival, her dissertation focused on choreographers of color in the Pacific Northwest. Most recently, she’s been thinking deeply about what liberation is possible through concert dance, which still possesses an intimate, even symbiotic relationship, with white supremacy.
While white supremacy once referred to overt hate as seen through groups such as the KKK, white supremacy today refers to an ideology that acts in both overt and subtle or unspoken ways. In western society, for example, white culture, white norms, and white people are valued more highly, and above other cultures. A cursory glance at the majority of ballet and modern dance companies show this favoring of whiteness, as seen through artistic leaders, company rosters, and choreographers whose work is presented.
In Huang’s view, dancers of color must strive to create space between what’s true and what’s cultural default. Today she does this by resisting the pressure to see certain “it” choreographers or companies, and instead asks herself what will bring joy.
“What kind of dance do I visually want to see? What kind of movement do I want to do? I am mostly only seeing shows produced by People of Color I care about, and that’s OK.”
Alicia Allen, photo courtesy of the artist
Hold them accountable
As a Black woman in a predominantly white dance department, Alicia Allen (she/her) felt invisible. From the professor who asked if she was in the right place, to the bathrooms littered with posters of white dancers, and how-to instructions for the perfect ballet bun, the message was subtle, but loud:
“My Blackness and street styles did not ‘make’ the walls.”
It wasn’t until Allen connected with other students who had experienced similar events that she gained the courage to fight. During her senior year, the majority of her efforts were focused on holding her dance department accountable. She served on committees, planned town-hall events, and lobbied to get a racist class canceled. And she’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“Don’t be afraid to speak your truth and share your experiences. You should always hold your teachers and professors accountable for your education. Hold them accountable for respecting dance cultures and communities.”
When Allen teaches hip-hop today, she never skips over the fact that this dance style was birthed from the joy and pain of Black people. Instead, she encourages her students to face their own discomfort as they reckon with history—a necessary part of respecting where the art comes from.
Roberty Moore jumps; Tracey Wong photo
Reorient your organization toward justice
In the past, Robert Moore (he/they) has seen dance organizations think that anti-Blackness, the increase in Asian American attacks, or what it means to live on occupied Coast Salish land, are not relevant to ballet or modern dance. But Moore does not stop being Black when he comes into the studio.
“What puts a nice little grin on my face is seeing organizations step up for the first time, seeing them stumbling over themselves, and actually learn something from pulling some weight, rather than just being passive,” he said.
Moore has found rest this past year by being in community with other Black artists: getting to discuss life—including topics that have nothing to do with race—has brought them joy.
Remember, Moore said, People of Color do not owe anyone a conversation or explanation about race, ever: “Honor the quiet revolution of a dancer of color just going to class, rehearsing, and taking moments to exist freely.”
Re-think ballet and dance education
Vivian Little (she/her) never connected race to body type when she was dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet and San Francisco Ballet in the 1980s. Years later, she was teaching at a university and her colleagues of color recounted the discrimination that they had faced. Only then was she able to connect the dots between racism and the “defectiveness” of certain bodies. Through this lens, the concerns of her colleagues made sense: a Filipina whose short legs prevented her from earning short-tutu roles, a Columbian danseur with who never had the right “look” for a prince. Being of Irish and Japanese ancestry, Little thought about how she herself was often cast as the sensual or Latina role because of her “exotic look.”
Today, Little pushes back on the uniformity and preferred Eurocentric ballet aesthetics. One way to do this has been learning more about the human body and movement mechanics related to ballet technique. Little sees the potential in every student, whether their first position is a delicious little slice, or a whole half, of pie; whether their leg reaches up toward the heavens in arabesque, or points down toward the earth; whether they look like generations of European ballerinas, or they are helping to illuminate the multifaceted, multicultural beauty alive in ballet.
“Ballet teachers must teach to the person, not to an ideal,” Little said. “It takes much more thought, care and intentionality to be inclusive because of the waters of white supremacy we've been swimming in and the air of racism we've breathed for centuries.”
Photo courtesy of Vivian Little
Resources
Additionally, please check out the work of the following Seattle-based artists: Alicia Mulikin, Dani Tirell, Noelle Price, Randy Ford, Imana Gunawan, Cheryl Delostrinos, Amanda Morgan, Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan, Donald Byrd/Spectrum Dance Theater, among many, many others.
Fostering Creative Collaboration Across Genres
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed more challenges than benefits for most peoples’ lives. However, in unique and unexpected ways, this time of isolation and solace has allowed people to re-connect with creative parts of themselves and explore ventures they’ve always wanted to. For MiYoung Margolis, MiYoung Margolis Dance Collective or MMDC was born out of the rubbles of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to foster creativity and collaboration across genres.
MiYoung Margolis on the Origins of MMDC
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo courtesy of www.miyoungmargolis.com
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed more challenges than benefits for most peoples’ lives. However, in unique and unexpected ways, this time of isolation and solace has allowed people to re-connect with creative parts of themselves and explore ventures they’ve always wanted to. For MiYoung Margolis, MiYoung Margolis Dance Collective or MMDC was born out of the rubbles of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to foster creativity and collaboration across genres.
MiYoung shares that for her entire life, dance has been a core part of who she is. She has experience mostly training in ballet and Martha Graham’s modern technique. She also trained in traditional Korean dance styles when studying for her undergraduate degree from Korea National Sport University in Seoul, South Korea. As a student, MiYoung got the opportunity to travel abroad and perform internationally. Dance also had a big influence on her outside of the classroom, as she sought out other styles like salsa. Education is another one of MiYoung’s passions, as she has a master’s degree in the subject.
In 2005, MiYoung relocated to Seattle where she worked with local cultural organizations, organizing festivals and events. She threw herself into her work and greatly enjoyed it, confessing that she became a bit of a “workoholic.” “It was an awesome experience,” she says. MiYoung also taught ballet and salsa in the community. Her husband, Jeffrey Margolis, introduced her to tango, which the two danced at their wedding.
After 12 years of living, working, and teaching in Seattle, MiYoung realized that she missed dancing on stage in group pieces. “I missed that type of group dance [where you] breathe together, practice together, and torture each other,” MiYoung laughs.
Recently, MiYoung and her husband have opened up a Seattle art gallery known as B612 that also holds a dance studio space, as well as a Korean language and culture learning center. The gallery also contains a photo studio and an event space that is available to rent. MiYoung says she feels “extremely fortunate” to be able to open up this space with her husband and have it as a space for her company to rehearse. The rehearsal space itself was a jumping off point for MiYoung to begin MMDC.
MMDC was born out of a desire to create during the pandemic. MiYoung says that in addition to the challenges 2020 presented, the difficult year also allowed her the chance to re-awaken a creative side of herself that had been dormant. In addition, MiYoung’s gallery granted her the space to “gather and organize a team of strong, willing dancers who were open-minded enough to take a chance on her choreography and unique style.” She feels grateful to have a “large collection of extremely talented dancers, each with their own unique capabilities” within MMDC. In her choreography, MiYoung seeks to express her creative vision, but also collaborate with performers based on their strengths.
Within the company, there are about 12 dancers and counting. The dancers within the collective come from different backgrounds and regions of the country and globe, making it a dynamic group that is constantly learning from one another.
Rather than channeling all of her energy into one dance piece, MiYoung desires to create various dance projects containing different stories. So far, the dance collective has created nine dance works. “My dance style is not usual, because I try to [include] a fusion [of styles],” MiYoung shares. She also expresses her infatuation with choreographing specific storylines, similar to operas. MiYoung greatly connects to song lyrics throughout her choreography and particularly enjoys choreographing love stories.
During the pandemic, MMDC has filmed its dance works outside in light of social distancing protocol. MiYoung commends her dancers for persevering during the filming sessions, sharing that many had to endure cold winter conditions and “pouring down rain.” MiYoung laughs that the less favorable Seattle weather simply added to the drama of the dances.
MiYoung shares that MMDC has turned its attention back towards choreographing for the stage. Last summer, the company had a chance to perform on an outdoor stage at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma, WA. “It was a celebration of the Korean harvest festival, so it was well-connected to my background,” MiYoung shares.
In 2022, MMDC has a full schedule of live performances scheduled, in secure venues that will check for COVID vaccinations and/or negative COVID tests. On January 9, 2022, MMDC kicked off its first performance of the year at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Events Center that is a celebration of Korean American culture. The performance documented a timeline of Korean music trends through the decades in collaboration with other dance artists, from showcasing disco styles in the 70s to honoring the popular Korean girl group Wonder Girls in the 2000s.
On February 19th, MMDC celebrated the Lunar New Year through dance with a community celebration. In May, MMDC is planning to dance in the Seattle Center Armory alongside various Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations. In June, MiYoung plans to showcase a piece at the Seattle International Dance Festival. She was planning to show her work at the SIDF in 2020; however, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say, MiYoung is eager to share her dance creations with the public after a long wait. Througout the summer, MMDC will likely participate in other festivals, so keep an eye out for those announcements.
In November 2022, MMDC will put on its own company show at Broadway Performance Hall in Capitol Hill, Seattle. In addition to showcasing MMDC’s work, MiYoung is also interested in involving child dancers in the showcase. “I love to give some of our young dancers in Seattle some opportunities,” she says. She is currently looking for studios that are interested in participating.
Moving forward, MiYoung looks forward to bringing in different instructors to teach different dance genres to MMDC. In the local dance community, she hopes to see more collaboration across dance genres and among dance artists. She believes that there are more similarities than people often recognize throughout different dance genres. “I just don’t want [us] to be against each other,” MiYoung says. Dancers learning to step out of their comfort zones and learn more about each other have the potential to create waves of creative impact.
Check out MMDC in action at the 2021 Duo Dance Festival in Seoul here.
Interested in writing for the DWC Blog? Click below to fill out the DWC Contributor application!