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Apr 19, 2021
Alex Wong (Collette Mruk, courtesy Alex Wong)
6 AAPI Dancers Share Their Stories
Last year, anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 150 percent in many of America's largest cities. And last month, a mass shooting in the Atlanta area took the lives of eight people, six of them Asian women. Since then, the attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have continued, sparking a national movement to stop AAPI hate.
In light of this, Dance Spirit wanted to help amplify the voices of AAPI dancers. We asked six to share their thoughts about anti-Asian racism and how it appears in the dance world. Here's what they had to say.
Alex Wong
Dance Spirit: How would you describe your Asian-American identity?
Alex Wong: I'm Chinese. My parents are from Hong Kong, and they moved to Canada for their final year of high school or first year of college. I grew up in Canada. Cantonese was technically my first language, but now it's quite rusty, though I can still speak conversationally. I'd say I grew up with Chinese values in Western culture. I have a good understanding of both.
DS: You recently posted a video about a group that threw rocks at your head while you were biking in New York City. What motivated you to speak up about your experience?
AW: When it happened, I was not physically hurt and not really emotionally hurt. I was just annoyed at the situation, so I made a video diary and then let it go. The shooting in Atlanta made me think about it again. I couldn't say for sure if it was a targeted Asian crime against me, but I felt like, subconsciously, it had to be. They probably threw rocks because of the way I looked. They knew I wouldn't fight back or make a stink about it.
It's very ingrained within us Asian Americans to not make a big deal. I'm used to keeping my head low, but here, I thought I should speak up. Even if it didn't hurt me, I could possibly prevent this from happening to someone else. What if it had been my mom or my grandma, or an older person? Or even someone less physically capable who would've lost balance on their bike? I wanted to use my platform to let people know that these things are happening and it's not OK.
DS: How does the dance world fit into conversations about anti-Asian racism?
AW: When I was about 15, I was at a crossroads in my career: I could pursue the commercial side of dance—TV, film, Broadway and things like that—or I could pursue ballet. Even though my parents would have supported that, the idea of stability was still important. I knew that obviously no one was going to cast an Asian in West Side Story, and I wasn't used to seeing any Asians on TV. The commercial route just wasn't realistic. I pursued ballet for seven years. Then I started seeing more Asians on TV, and that's when I auditioned for "So You Think You Can Dance." After that, I went into the commercial industry. I've seen improvement within my career. It's gone from "You can't have more than one" to recently: I've been on shoots where there are so many Asians in the cast. I did a Mastercard commercial last year, and I think there were four of us in a very early shot. We were all like "Go Asians!" because it was more than what you would normally see with just the one token. It's nice when there are more, but it's still rare enough that I notice it when it happens.
DS: What can dancers do to support the movement to stop AAPI hate?
AW: Use your own platform to spread good, happiness, joy—things like that. Being yourself is enough.
Christine Flores
Dance Spirit: How would you describe your Asian-American identity?
Christine Flores: I'm actually Asian-Canadian. I'm half Chinese, half Filipino, and Trini. My mom was born in Trinidad, and, growing up, that was a huge part of our culture. Growing up in Canada, we were taught to embrace everyone's culture. It's not that we didn't see ethnicity, but we didn't try to divide people into white, Black or Asian. For example, I didn't use the term "white," but would say they're Italian or European. I'm very grateful for having been taught to celebrate people's differences.
DS: What would you like people to know about the rise in anti-Asian violence and racism?
CF: Being in New York City, I have never felt the stress that I do recently. It feels really unsafe in places where I would usually feel at home. The attacks are happening in places that are busy, areas that I'm in all the time. I usually wear my headphones walking or on the subway, but now I won't. I don't want to travel alone. I try not to draw attention to myself, which also sucks. In a time when women are trying to be empowered, I feel suppressed. I don't want to be seen because something could happen to me.
DS: How does the dance world fit into conversations about anti-Asian racism?
CF: I'm usually one of the few Asians in a company, and I feel torn. There's the idea of tokenism, which makes it hard to tell why you're being chosen. In some companies, I feel like I'm filling a diversity quota. In others, I feel like I'm hired because of my talent. It's hard to know if people are being authentic. In the hip-hop community, I see a lot of diversity. But not as much in the contemporary scene, where there's some elitism that doesn't always highlight Asians, or if they are highlighted, they are light-skinned or look white. Not everyone may agree with this, but it does make me question if these companies are being truly inclusive—it's just a question.
I also have a positive experience, though. When I was dancing for Company XIV, someone came up to me after the show and said she never thought there'd be a day when she'd see an Asian Sugar Plum Fairy. She said it was so great to see an Asian woman up there in a lead role, because we're always the supporting role. I realized that was true, and it touched my heart. I thought, "Wow, I'm standing up for Asian women. Woo-hoo!" It felt so empowering, and representation is so important.
DS: What can dancers do to support the movement to stop AAPI hate?
CF: As artists, it's our place to make people feel uncomfortable. We need to keep having these uncomfortable conversations. Even just making an effort to learn, to read, to listen is a big step. Look inside and question why you feel a certain way or why something makes you uncomfortable. Even check in with your friends and ask them if something you said was wrong or insensitive. It's hard, but being brave enough to ask the question and then being responsible for the outcome is a huge step.
Ellen Kim
Dance Spirit: How would you describe your Asian-American identity?
Ellen Kim: I am Korean-American. Part of my culture is to respect your elders. We don't speak loudly to our elders, and we honor the hierarchy of our family. One thing about Korean culture that I love is nunchi, which means the ability to read the room, people's energy, their feelings. It's the awareness of self and others. Another big thing is food. I believe our love language is to feed other people.
DS: What would you like people to know about the rise in anti-Asian violence and racism?
EK: Stopping AAPI hate has always been a thing for me, not just right now. I'm from San Francisco, which is very diverse, but I did grow up seeing Asians hating on Asians, others hating on Asians, and vice versa. I believe I was one of the first female, Asian-American dancers to start on YouTube, back in 2008. I'm so thankful I've been able to travel the world teaching dance, but I've also seen the world's view of me. In Europe, I was called racial slurs, and when I corrected them, they said being American is worse. Even in Korea, since I don't know the language very well, I always get looked down on. We need to stop hate in our community and around the world.
DS: How does the dance world fit into conversations about anti-Asian racism?
EK: Right now, it's a blessing to see Minari get recognized by the Oscars and to see so many Asian Americans on television. But years ago, when I was acting as well as dancing, I encountered so many casting directors asking for an Asian accent. I was naïve at first and excited to enter the industry, but it happened consistently. As I learned more about acting, I realized that, unless the character was a foreigner, there was no need for that. There is one audition I remember in particular. They asked for an accent, and I actually did it. I felt used and gross. I was fed up, and that inspired an idea for a dance video, which became "Safe." I used my experience and channeled it into dance.
DS: What can dancers do to support the movement to stop AAPI hate?
EK: I hope that we can take the time to reevaluate, educate ourselves and communicate with others; to actively listen more empathetically, share our experiences, and support and build each other up, even when we are different; to give grace to one another and truly treat each other the way we want to be treated. I'm not one to tell anyone what to do, so I always ask myself, "What or how can I do better? Is there someone I need to check on? How is my mental state?" Having a daughter taught me to have patience and speak with love and understanding.
Hannahlei Cabanilla
Dance Spirit: How would you describe your Asian-American identity?
Hannahlei Cabanilla: I'm Filipino-American. My parents grew up in the Philippines and moved over here, so I'm first-generation American. I live in Orange County, California, in a predominantly white area. I was always the minority, so I feel like I became numb to the racism I experienced. I didn't realize what a problem it was because where I grew up was mostly white people who didn't necessarily think these issues were a problem. Now I'm very open to what is happening, and it's crazy that no one has spoken up about it before.
DS: What would you like people to know about the rise in anti-Asian violence and racism?
HC: Growing up, I was raised to just brush off the comments—the racial slurs and jokes. I never realized how harmful and offensive they were because it was so normalized in my life. Now, as I am older, I realize the problem and know it is not OK.
DS: How does the dance world fit into conversations about anti-Asian racism?
HC: I'm often the only Asian on a dance job. I never realized that was a problem, but now that I'm aware of tokenization, I wonder if I'm chosen because they need an Asian. I also sometimes don't get auditions because of my race, and that's not fair either. I've been to auditions where we're asked to separate ourselves into groups based off how we look, and they pick from each group. I don't think that should be normal. It's hard because I'll do anything for dance, and that's anyone in the industry. We should be equal, no matter our size, race, ethnicity and so on. The dance industry is all about our look, but at the end of the day, it should be about our talent.
DS: What can dancers do to support the movement to stop AAPI hate?
HC: Speak up about it. I'm so glad people are actually speaking up. I recognize I was ignorant to it growing up, and now I'm noticing more. And since other people are speaking up, I feel like I need to speak up as well. Spreading this awareness will help change other people's mindsets.
Lex Ishimoto
Dance Spirit: How would you describe your Asian-American identity?
Lex Ishimoto: Coming from Asian descent and growing up in an Asian household, working hard is something that is ingrained. There are no shortcuts. I'm very proud to have that on my shoulders because that's what has made me into who I am today.
DS: What would you like people to know about the rise in anti-Asian violence and racism?
LI: To see that there are people out there who are making us take a step backwards is truly disappointing. There are things I have to think about now that I shouldn't have to think about. I'm always checking my back and am concerned for my friends and family. That's not something I should have to worry about on a daily basis.
DS: How does the dance world fit into conversations about anti-Asian racism?
LI: When I was a kid watching "So You Think You Can Dance," there weren't too many Asian people to watch. I was seeing so many Asian Olympian ice skaters, and I wanted to see that in dance. I thought, "What if I were the first Asian American to win 'So You Think You Can Dance?'" I was striving for that dream, but it died down as I got older. Then somehow it happened. Winning was very calming and comforting because I thought, "It's possible. We did it!" Then it was a three-peat of Asian Americans winning. It was important to me to have that representation, but now I feel like that wasn't enough, and I wonder what more we need to do.
DS: What can dancers do to support the movement to stop AAPI hate?
LI: There's been so much support from the dance community and public. I really appreciate that. But there are times when we have to swallow the information before we act. Sometimes a post isn't enough, and it's not even necessary. It's sad to see when issues like anti-Asian racism and Black Lives Matter become more about sharing the hashtag than the actual movement. Gather information, educate yourself, and change as a person first. I wish I could say, "This is the way to solve it." But honestly, I have no idea. With the shooting and so many incidents afterwards, it's been exhausting. What more do we have to do for people to understand what we're doing and see that we belong here? The stereotype is that Asians are quiet most of the time. So when we do raise our voices, it's because it matters.
It is a big moment for me to keep going and to keep the passion alive. It is fueling me to do better. I'm going full force. Whatever I've been doing to help my community and to help myself, even selfishly, I'm going to do more of it. It's not going to stop here.
Sean Lew
Dance Spirit: How would you describe your Asian-American identity?
Sean Lew: I'm Chinese, Japanese and Mongolian. People are always a little bit shocked, maybe because they just see me as Asian. Those three parts of the world are so different from each other, yet they're all part of me. It's not like I'm Chinese one day and Japanese another. Not understanding the different cultures builds stereotypes, which contribute to the idea that Asians don't belong in America.
DS: What would you like people to know about the rise in anti-Asian violence and racism?
SL: Hate on Asians, and racism in general, is a silent virus. People don't realize it until they have to. But we shouldn't have to wait for it to cost people's lives to start having the conversations. It's not just about stopping Asian hate. Just sharing the hashtag is almost like joining a dance class last minute and pretending to know the moves. It's not going to change the conversation or open people's eyes. It's not about making people feel bad about us. It's not about who has it worse. We're trying to change the way you see us as Asians in America to let us just be Americans.
DS: How does the dance world fit into conversations about anti-Asian racism?
SL: There have been a few little moments that never sat well with me. Asians have this stereotype of being timid and shy, and maybe that's because if you look back at our representation in history, we're not shown as strong, which I guess gives people an excuse to see every Asian person in that same way. There was someone who tried to speak their own version of Chinese to me when they didn't know Chinese. We were here in America, and we had talked on the phone before. They were trying to make me feel comfortable, but it made me feel the complete opposite. People also make your average Asian jokes, like about not being able to see. I hear those jokes a lot. It comes to a point where they don't feel like jokes. I'm not one to hold a grudge, and I get that they're jokes. But they do hurt. You start to wonder if they actually see you that way.
In acting auditions, one room will be full of Asian boys who are dressed up very nerdy. Next door will be all handsome white guys for the lead role. It's all part of the acting job, but when it keeps happening, I wonder what that says about how they see Asian boys. Why can't we showcase power and strength in a way that's not only through kung fu? Let us be the superheroes.
DS: What can dancers do to support the movement to stop AAPI hate?
I hope people start supporting more Asian-owned businesses—and Black-owned businesses—but we should be doing that always. If we focus on supporting each other as humans, it'll allow us to see each other for what we do as opposed to where we come from or what we look like. Dance has always been about staying strong together, being together and building community. We can use dance to hold our community together and look out for each other.
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Apr 14, 2021
William Zinser works with a dancer at The Joyce Theater (Kristin Stevens, courtesy William Zinser)
How to Beat 5 Common Cheats Dancers Commit
Y'all, we get it. Dance is really, really hard. So what's the harm in taking the easy way out on a technical correction? Answer: an increased chance of injury, and a whole slew of new technique problems that could take a loooooooong time to fix.
Lucky for you, Dance Spirit has enlisted the expert help of Dale Lam, artistic director of CCJ Conservatory in South Carolina, and William Zinser, certified athletic trainer at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in NYC, so you can start leveling up your technique the honest way.
The Cheat: Compensating in your hips and knees to force turnout
The Injuries: "Tilting your pelvis forward to try to get more turnout puts a lot of stress on your lower back," says Zinser. "Which makes for stress fractures in the low back. It also stresses structures in the front of the hip, which encourages labral tears or hip impingement."
That's not even the half of it: Rolling in your feet to force a turned-out position increases the chance of tendonitis on the outside of your ankles. "This position also asks the ligaments in your knee to be out of alignment," Zinser continues. "It's like bumper cars inside your knee—too much friction and irritation."
The Fix: "You don't have to have great turnout," says Lam. "Hold the turnout you do have by strengthening your inner thighs and the backs of the legs with Pilates." And gradually increase your range of motion by focusing on hip-socket and inner-thigh flexibility.
The Cheat: Letting your upper body "help" you jump
The Injuries: Failing to land and take off in an upright position increases the risk that you'll land funny—and potentially injure a lower extremity.
The Fix: "We don't spend enough time on core strengthening, so I see this a lot," says Lam. "Building your abdominal and back strength will help keep your torso upright," while your lower body is busy building its own stamina.
The Cheat: Hiking your hip for higher extensions
The Injuries: Over time, "You could strain the hip flexors or hamstrings," says Zinser. He adds that dancers who hike their hips could disengage their cores while doing so, which allows the pelvis to tilt incorrectly, and therefore run the risk of a low-back injury or psoas syndrome: chronic irritation of the psoas muscle.
The Fix: "This could be because you don't have rotation in your hip flexors, or you're not supporting underneath the working leg in order to lift it," says Lam. She suggests practicing holding your leg out and still—lower than you would be able to while "cheating"—in order to build strength in a correct position.
The Cheat: Not lowering your heels all the way when jumping
The Injuries: "A lot of dancers' stress fractures occur in the metatarsals, which are the bones in your toes and mid- to forefoot," says Zinser. "If we're constantly landing just on the balls of the feet, we increase the risk of forefoot fractures—as well as stressing the Achilles tendon and its surrounding structures."
The Fix: "Most of the people who don't put their feet all the way down have tight Achilles," says Lam. (So if you have a short demi-plié, pay close attention!) "Starting from the takeoff and in every transition step, make sure you're rolling through the entire bottom of your foot."
The Cheat: Winding up before turning
The Injuries: "Dance naturally self-selects for people who are hypermobile," says Zinser, "and one of the most common ways to dislocate a shoulder is to go into extreme external rotation." What's even more common, Zinser notes, is to disengage your core when winding up, which leaves the spine vulnerable to pinched nerves and other issues.
The Fix: "This comes from not using opposition, and a lack of strength in the working side," explains Lam. Especially if you have scoliosis or another bodily asymmetry, Lam says, you need to add strengthening exercises for your weaker side and work on the overall flexibility of your dominant side.
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Apr 09, 2021
What happens if you are passed over for the opportunity when it feels like your time? (Getty Images/kf4851)
What to Do When Your Dance Teacher Says You're Not Pointe Ready
Since the day you pulled on your first leotard, you have no doubt been dreaming of the day you would attend your first pointe shoe fitting. Going on pointe is a rite of passage as a ballet dancer, and the result of years of hard work.
But what happens if you are passed over for the opportunity when it feels like your time? It's totally understandable to be disappointed and frustrated if your teacher doesn't move you on pointe, but don't lose faith in yourself. "I've seen a lot of dancers go on pointe over the years," says Josephine Lee, professional pointe shoe fitter and founder of The Pointe Shop. "I don't think I have ever seen a dancer who was held back from pointework feel like they were behind in the long run."
Ideally, your teacher has laid out clear guidelines for what makes a dancer pointe-ready. But if they haven't, there are some milestones that ballet professionals are looking for to give the green light for your first pair of shoes. Factors like your age, technique level, range of motion and strength all come into play. And the good news is that if going on pointe is a goal for you, there are proactive ways that you can get there.
Age
The "correct" age to begin pointe is a controversial one, and that is largely because being pointe-ready depends on so many different factors of physical and technical development. But there is a growing consensus that you can definitely be too young to dance on pointe safely. In most professional training schools, dancers don't start pointework until age 11 at the earliest. In 2018 the Youth America Grand Prix updated its rules so that competitors should be 12 years old to perform on pointe. Dancers 10 years old and younger are not allowed to compete on pointe, and it is strongly discouraged for 11-year-olds.
For many, one concern for going on pointe too early is that if the student is not done growing, the growth plates in their bones are not fully closed. While this can certainly lead to injury, medical professionals are more concerned with injuries that can result in a student lacking the strength, range of motion and coordination needed to start safely twirling on their toes. Natalie Imrisek, a physical therapist who works with dancers in L.A., adds, "Dancers also need to have the maturity to have an understanding of how to care for their bodies and the hard work that they are doing."
To Keep Improving: Waiting is the hardest thing, but it's the only real remedy here. Trust that your teachers are looking out for your best interest: They just want you to be safe and successful. Going on pointe too early can be frustrating, and even lead to burnout. Focus your attention on the rest of the pointe-ready milestones, and you will be a better dancer for it.
Coordination and Technique
Being developmentally ready for pointework happens for different people at different times. There are so many factors that contribute here—how long have you been seriously taking ballet classes? Maybe you have had a big growth spurt and are regaining the strength to manage your longer limbs. "Being developmentally ready means being able to really multitask with your body," says Jennifer Milner, a Pilates instructor and ballet coach in Dallas. "With pointe shoes, we are adding one more thing you need to think about," she says. "You're learning how to balance differently."
In class Milner looks for control in a student's dancing to determine if they are ready for pointe. She wants to see a dancer who can do a clean single pirouette with a landing without hopping or falling down off of demi-pointe. She will also test a dancer's proprioception (your ability to know where your body is in space) by having them stand in parallel and bring one leg up to a parallel passé. She asks them to hold the position without touching the working foot to their knee and without clasping their hands or putting their hands on their hips. "Can you do it for 30 seconds with your eyes open?" she asks. "Can you do it for 10 seconds with your eyes closed?"
To Keep Improving: Practice, practice, practice. Make sure that your commitment to getting your pointe shoes is matched by your commitment to your overall ballet training. Are you taking multiple ballet classes every week? Are you committing yourself fully to the corrections you are receiving and working hard to improve? Don't focus on pointework as a trophy—it will be a natural continuation of all of your hard work.
Range of Motion
The flexibility of the mid-foot and ankle was cited by Lee, Milner, and Imrisek as a primary challenge for young dancers being pointe-ready. "You need to be able to get your metatarsal in line with your shinbone when you point your foot to get on pointe safely," says Imrisek. Milner will have dancers sit on the floor with their legs straight and point their feet. If you lay a pencil on your ankle pointed down to your toes, it should be pointing straight ahead or down toward the floor. If it is pointing up, you still have a range of motion challenge to overcome. Imrisek says that this flexibility is important because if you can't get over on the box of the pointe shoe, you are likely to compensate with other parts of your body and end up injured. You are also much more likely to roll and sprain your ankle.
On the other side of range of motion is those dancers with very flexible feet and ankles—the banana feet we all want. But Milner warns that with great flexibility comes a greater need for strength in order to avoid injury. While the feet may look great in the shoes, these dancers can be at higher risk of sprained ankles and Achilles tendon problems, which can become recurring injuries. "The biggest predictor of having an ankle sprain is already having had an ankle sprain," says Milner. The ligaments don't go back after they have been overstretched.
To Keep Improving: If you are lacking the range of motion in your ankles and mid-foot, don't go reaching for the foot stretcher! Imrisek warns that doing so can overstretch the ankle, increasing the risk of sprains and causing Achilles and os trigonum issues. Instead, she suggests focusing on opening up the tissue in the mid-foot and the top of the foot. To do this, she suggests dancers get toe spacers like YogaToes, or lace their fingers between their toes to release the tightness. While your toes are spread, massage the top of the foot up toward your shins like you are pulling on a pair of pantyhose. To keep the added flexibility, she says to follow this up with some strength exercises, like piano toes.
Strength and Balance
"Think of pointework as a full-body experience," advises Lee. "Often the dancer incorrectly only focuses on their feet and their ankles. But you have to be strong in every part of your body in order to be successful." Lee is looking to see if a dancer can hold a relevé on demi-pointe without shaking or wobbling, which requires the whole body to be engaged to be done successfully. A lot of this strengthening happens naturally in class, but adding a cross-training routine will make you a stronger dancer all around. Milner suggests that you skip the crunches for core strengthening. "We don't often dance in a crunched position, so we want to learn to strengthen our trunk and maintain it in a neutral position," she says.
To Keep Improving: Most of Milner's students prepare for class every day with the same favorite exercise called "toe taps." Practicing your relevés in both turned-out as well as parallel positions will help with needed calf strength.
Both Milner and Imrisek have seen dancers get injured after being on pointe before the time is right. Sometimes these are immediate injuries, like sprained ankles and stress fractures, but for others, it results in nagging injuries that plague dancers for the rest of their careers. It is hard to wait, but you need to invest in yourself and the long game. If you still feel confused about why you didn't make it on pointe this year, Milner says that it is completely fine to respectfully ask your teacher for a meeting to discuss it at a time that is convenient for them. "You can say, 'I understand that you don't feel that I am ready for pointe, so what can I work on so that I can achieve that goal?'" By working with your teacher to create tangible goals for yourself, you can move forward with support knowing how to get there.
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