Christina is a dancer and the studio director of Lisa Performing Arts located in Bay Area. Through her dance performances, she tells stories about Chinese culture, including the ways people live, their mannerisms, and their unique clothing, all while passing down their unique stories from generation to generation.

Christina’s journey has been filled with success and opportunities for her dancers to showcase their Asian American dance styles. They have competed at international competitions, premiered on NBC TV, and performed at various high-caliber events. Most recently, they were given the privilege of performing a halftime show for the NBA Golden State Warriors.

The troupe brought a unique and cultural experience to the game featuring the dynamic handkerchief dance, graceful and fluid movements of the ribbon dance, and intricate lantern dancing. The performance was the first of its kind, featuring “authentic Chinese dance” and a combination of fusion styles they have learned.

Read through as Christina delves deeper into the creative process of choreographing a new dance, her recent performance at the NBA Golden State Warriors halftime show, and the importance of celebrating one’s cultural identity.

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN AMERICAN AND ASIAN CULTURES

Growing up as an Asian American, I experienced a lack of representation of Chinese culture in mainstream American platforms and faced the challenge of reconciling my traditional Chinese culture with the dominant American culture, which often excluded Asian Americans and perpetuated stereotypes.

I found solace in Chinese dance — a beautiful and intricate art form often overlooked in mainstream American platforms. My passion for bridging the gap between American and Asian cultures began when I started learning Chinese dance, which surprised me because not many people knew about it beyond the “lion dance.”

Chinese dance involves advanced technique, beautiful costumes, and a variety of unique dance styles, including Mongolian, Tibetan, Dai, Classical, and more. However, I noticed a lack of appreciation for Chinese dance at school rallies, outside performances, and dance competitions.

As I grew older, I realized that to bridge the gap between American and Asian cultures, I needed to find a way to blend the two in a way that was accessible and appealing to both. I was inspired by the success of Bollywood dance in America and dreamed of Chinese dance becoming just as popular. To achieve this, I realized it was necessary to incorporate elements of mainstream styles such as “contemporary” movements, technique, and storytelling, while adding our own Chinese dance elements such as costuming, music, and style.

I worked to create an “East meets West” fusion style of dance that combined both American and Chinese elements. I hoped to bring together teachers and dancers of both backgrounds to learn and appreciate each other’s styles and create unique fusion styles as Asian Americans.

Through my work in Chinese dance, I have seen a growing interest and appreciation for the art form from people of all ethnicities. I am proud to have helped spread awareness and understanding of Chinese culture and have given a voice to Asian Americans in the performing arts world.

Looking forward, I hope to continue to promote authentic representations of Chinese dance in mainstream media and to build a more diverse and inclusive society by encouraging greater cultural understanding and appreciation. My goal now is to form connections with Hollywood networks to ensure that authentic Chinese dance is portrayed in film and music videos and to prevent cultural appropriation.

I believe that the performing arts provide a universal language through which we can all communicate and that by embracing and celebrating our cultural identities, we can build a more harmonious and united world.

BEING ASIAN IS A STRENGTH, NOT A WEAKNESS

My interest in dance began at a young age. My mother was a professional dancer in China who opened her own dance studio in the US. I was exposed to a variety of dance styles, which allowed me to form strong friendships with people of all ages and backgrounds. Through dance, I not only learned about movement and performance, but also about teamwork, leadership, and resilience.

As I grew older, I became passionate about promoting and showcasing Chinese culture through dance. Chinese dance is a unique and vibrant art form with a rich history and tradition. It has a diverse array of costumes, props, and ethnic styles, as well as stunning technical skills, it was a hidden gem waiting to be shared on a larger platform. I felt that it was important to share this cultural identity with others and to show that being Asian is a strength, not a weakness.

Today, I am proud to say that our studio is well-known and respected in the Bay Area. Through our performances and outreach, we have been able to promote Chinese culture and inspire others to celebrate their own cultural identity.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

When choreographing a new dance, my creative process starts with considering the group of dancers I’ll be working with for the season. I think about each dancer’s individual strengths and how to create unity among the group. This includes deciding on a dance style that fits the group and identifying which dancers will perform which roles.

I then search for songs that will sound intriguing to the audience and consider modernized versions of traditional Chinese music if possible. Next, I find costumes that are in-season and on-trend to bring a contemporary Chinese feel to the performance. I also draw inspiration from trending technical work and group lifts that can work well with the group, as well as any props we may be using. The movements and facials themselves tell the story, and I choose ethnic styles that reflect the particular cultural traditions we’re exploring.

When creating a production piece, I try to tell a story that is easily understood by the audience. To achieve this, I brainstorm ideas inspired by TV shows, movies, and Chinese folklore that can be given an added twist through the use of props. For example, for our piece “The Legend of Avatar: East meets West,” we used props to tell the story of using Earth’s four elements.

Production pieces are more complex to choreograph, as I need to think about how different sections will mesh, color coordination for costumes, smooth transitions between segments, and how to coordinate rehearsals for a large group of people. I also need to consider which parts of the performance to cut or keep, depending on whether we’re performing for a competition or for a show. It’s a true team effort, with many people involved behind the scenes, including visionaries, teachers, prop makers, parents, costume designers, music editors, and dancers who make the vision come to life.

A PRICELESS MEMORY

The dance troupe’s recent halftime show performance for the NBA Golden State Warriors was a truly special and memorable experience. As the first Chinese dance studio to put on a full dance production at the Chase Center, it was an incredible honor to be able to showcase Chinese culture on such a large platform. While martial arts and lion dance have been featured in the past, Chinese dance had never been given the same opportunity until now.

This milestone not only allowed us to introduce Chinese dance to a wider audience who may not have seen it before, but it also provided a priceless memory for our dancers.

BREAKING DOWN CULTURAL BARRIERS

In addition to positive feedback on our technique and performances, we’ve also received comments on how our troupe’s performances have helped to promote cultural awareness and diversity. 

People have expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn about Chinese culture through our dances, and many have shared how our performances have inspired them to explore and appreciate their own cultural heritage. We’ve also received word that our performances have helped to break down cultural barriers and build bridges between different communities. It’s all very encouraging and it keeps us motivated to continue doing what we do.

EMBRACING YOUR CULTURAL IDENTITY

For young Asian Americans who may be struggling with their cultural identity, my advice is to embrace your uniqueness and find your community. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed about your heritage, as it is a valuable part of who you are.

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who share your values and can help you grow. You can seek out cultural groups or organizations in your area, attend cultural events, or connect with others through social media.

Additionally, try to think outside the box and find creative ways to integrate your cultural identity with what people are already comfortable with, while highlighting the unique aspects of your heritage. 

Finally, don’t be afraid to take risks and pursue your passions, even if they may not fit the mold of traditional expectations. By embracing your cultural identity and celebrating your heritage, you can become stronger and more confident and inspire others to be the same.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Looking ahead, my vision for the future of my dance troupe and work in promoting Asian culture is to continue expanding our reach and impact. One of my top goals is to provide more opportunities for our dancers to perform at high-caliber events such as the White House, the Olympics, and major award shows like the Oscars and Grammys.

Beyond these major platforms, I hope to see Chinese dance become a more integrated part of the arts and cultural scene, potentially even becoming part of school curriculums to expose young people to this beautiful art form at a young age.

In the long term, I would love to take our work to the next level by establishing a Chinese American dance studio with a dance-specific talent agency sector, through which casting directors would be able to select dancers who can perform authentic Chinese dance for film, media, and commercials. This would create more opportunities for dancers to showcase their skills and help to further promote and introduce Chinese culture to a bigger audience.

For William Lo, it’s a tool for change. In his non-profit project that aims to help talented underprivileged Chinese girls, he is using basketball to better their lives and further their education.

For Asian girls, pursuing sports like basketball can be challenging. Societal pressures, cultural barriers, and lack of resources often stand in the way of their dreams. In this article, we will explore the barriers that Asian girls face in sports, particularly basketball, and how William Lo’s project is breaking down those barriers, one basket at a time.

BASKETBALL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG PART OF MY LIFE

I was born and raised in Hong Kong until I was 15 years old and went to school in New Jersey. My mother is from New Jersey and my father is from Hong Kong.

Basketball has always been a big part of my life and I was able to play at a Division 3 level. After college, I came back to Hong Kong and started “Strive” — a strength and conditioning facility mainly for basketball players looking to become better athletes. I did that for 6 years and then in 2019, we decided that it was time to expand into basketball training, as well as strength and conditioning to have a holistic training facility where basketball players could do basketball and fitness in one facility. I have been the Managing Director of Strive for almost 10 years.

THE GOLD TEAM

Our non-profit project, run by my wife Angela and I, is called “The Gold Team.” It’s a scholarship program where we help mainly talented and underprivileged Chinese girls, starting at ages 13-15, utilize basketball as a vehicle to further their education and better their lives.

We want our girls to be shining examples of what Chinese women are capable of on and off the court. Even if they don’t get the opportunity to play professionally, they could use the lessons they learned in the Gold Team and can move on to the next part of their life.

Gold Team is an elite training program, so we train 6 days per week on the court, 3 strength and conditioning sessions per week, and we also average 1 or more games against older women or boys.

We sign an agreement with all of our players and parents outlining what we will do for the girls and what is expected out of them. We also have a minimum GPA that we expect the girls to keep.

We believe in developing world-class players, students, and citizens at the same time. I take care of the basketball and training part, my wife Angela who was a much better student than I, monitors their grades closely. 

CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO BECOME A SERIOUS ATHLETE

A lot of the challenges we see come from parents not understanding the point of why someone would want to become a serious athlete. I constantly hear “You can’t make a living on it so why spend so much time on it?” This is very common in our society and a lot of people do not see the value of how sports add value to a kid’s life mentally, emotionally and of course physically.

Another objection that I get a lot is the unwillingness to look outside of Hong Kong for bigger possibilities for basketball. Since there is a significant portion of Hong Kong people that have never traveled outside of Asia, they may not be aware of the possibilities of sports scholarships in countries such as the US, Canada, or Australia. I’m hoping that as we get more and more girls opportunities to play in the NCAA and other countries, this will change.

THE ROAD TO CHANGING ONE PLAYER’S LIFE FOREVER

Yannie Chan, who won Conference Player of the Year, is the first locally schooled Hong Kong girl in our city’s history to play in the NCAA, so that alone instilled a lot of hope for girls in our city. There will be more coming out of our program in the coming years!

In the classroom, we also have a girl who is now one of our best players — I got her when she was 13, she had a terrible track record at school and was ready to drop out and become a part-time waitress. I told her that in order to join the Gold Team she had to have a certain GPA. She immediately went to her teacher the next day and asked for tutoring, which left her teacher in shock! She has gone from a 2.5 GPA to a 3.4 GPA in 2 years. Now she has opportunities to play at prep school level in America. Her family is on government subsidies and now she is on the road to changing her life forever.

SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR CHINESE WOMEN ATHLETES

Men are often the first priority over women when it comes to sports. This is true, especially in our part of the world. However, after years of observation, I am very bullish on Chinese women’s sports. We have some of the best athletes in the world and girls who can compete with any country. Chinese women in the world cup are a perfect example coming in second after the US. I believe that if given the right opportunity, time, and love, the sky’s the limit for Chinese women athletes.

I want to also prove to parents that sports do, in fact, have a lot of value in the development of kids. Putting your sole focus only on studying is definitely not the way to developing a well-rounded adult in the future. If you are a great athlete and a great student, it opens up a lot more doors for you than only being good in the classroom.

Finally, as an Asian basketball player, I was not given a lot of respect just because of the color of my skin. Basketball in America is not an Asian-dominated sport and we need to be extra tough and extra skilled in order to earn that respect, which I’m totally fine with. I want to make a statement to the world that Asian players, when given the opportunity, can be just as good as anyone anywhere in the world. I firmly believe that.

THE GOAL TO SHOOT FOR SUCCESS

My goal is to be able to travel with the girls multiple times per year around the world so that they can play against different competitions, learn about different cultures and see the world.

This June, My wife and I raised around 40-45,000 USD to sponsor 9 girls to come to the US and play on the AAU circuit (Amateur Athletic Union). Hopefully, with this trip many of our girls will be recruited to play in college.

SPREAD THE WORD

We are trying to change Asian sports and if you have any interest in knowing more you can contact me anytime. william@strivefitnesshk.com

Website: www.strivefitnsshk.com

Instagram: @willvlo

Nathaniel “Nathan” Cayanan is a Filipino-American currently working as a lecturer at Cal State Fullerton part-time, where he teaches business communication. He has been teaching English composition and academic writing for almost a decade and has been in education for 17 years, 8 of those years in college. He studied creative writing and screenwriting at USC and earned a master’s in writing because he wanted to be a filmmaker, but found himself teaching English comp – which he loved for a time.

On a whim last year, Nathan applied for DC Comics Milestone Initiative, a talent development program created in partnership with groundbreaking publisher Milestone Media and Ally Financial for marginalized writers and artists who want to break into the industry. It was highly competitive, but, somehow, the story he wrote for the application caught their eye, and he was officially accepted into their inaugural class. He took part in a program that mentored them as they tried to advance in the comic book industry.

He’s putting more effort into his creative career, not only writing some comics or graphic novels but drawing too. Now, he will be making his DC Comics debut as a writer. His story features the superhero Icon during the Cambodian Civil War.

With his first story to release in just a few months, Nathan’s career is on the rise. But how did he get to this point? Let’s explore the decisions and experiences that brought him here.

I APPLIED BELIEVING THAT I WOULD FAIL

I’ve always loved stories, be they in movies, books, or comics. I have read comics ever since I was about eight years old, my first comic being Batman #416. I watched movies as much as I could growing up, falling in love with not only the stories, but also the craft of telling them. 

I studied creative writing and screenwriting, but as most people know, it’s not a career rife with opportunities, so I found a day job teaching while I tried to develop my creative career. But teaching was a job that took a lot of time and energy, so the amount of effort into my writing career was relatively low. I loved teaching, so I was okay with this for a while, especially since I constantly got rejections for stories I wrote. In short, I settled.

However, about 5-6 years into my college teaching career, I started to feel pigeonholed. Despite earning stellar reviews and even winning Teacher of the Year in 2018, I wasn’t getting consistent opportunities. I was passed up for full-time positions several times. And even though it’s common for adjuncts to make up for a lack of full-time work by finding employment at multiple colleges, many community colleges would not hire me to teach part-time despite me having more experience and qualifications than other candidates they did hire.

So, I realized I needed to let go of this career and go back to school in 2019 for something more practical and get an MBA to pursue opportunities outside higher ed. My logic was that I would continue to teach part-time at only one school and leave my admin job at another school, while I went to graduate school (again).

Then the pandemic happened, and I started to also lose some of the classes at that school because of low enrollment and cut hours. Simultaneously, while I was doing well in my business program (I was earning a 4.0 at the time), I was a bit depressed. The world was collapsing, people were just very unpleasant, student-teacher dynamics changed, and I felt like a failure in TWO careers I pursued.

I applied for the Milestone Initiative, thinking that I’m going to just go work in an office if I give up my passions completely, so I might as well make one last effort and “die trying,” knowing that I fought until the bitter end. I actually applied believing that I would fail and that I just needed one more rejection letter to make it official. But, instead, I was accepted, and that really changed things moving forward.

CREATIVE INFLUENCES

I have so many creative influences. In film, there are Wong Kar Wai, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Aaron Sorkin.

If we’re talking literature: Haruki Marakami, Juno Diaz, Amy Tan, Lan Samantha Chang, Edgar Allan Poe, Cormac McCarthy. Comics, Tom King (who was my mentor in the Milestone Initiative), Scott Snyder, Jim Lee, Alan Moore, and Frank Miller. I mean, this list can go on and on, and they all have different influences on my creative voice and eye.

CHALLENGES OF TRANSITIONING INTO THE CAREER

Most of my work so far is indie and still in the process of being made. I have one comic I’m writing and drawing and any money I get will come after it’s printed, and assuming that it sells enough.

Similarly, I have a graphic novel I’m writing, and an artist is drawing it, and we’ve been offered the opportunity to publish it when it’s finished, but we won’t see a dime until we see units sold in the future. This is why many of us have day jobs. I still teach, just less than I did, and only at a university closer to home. But we do this because we love the art of telling stories.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING WRITERS OR ARTISTS

It’s not easy, and I think admitting that first is important. Too many young aspiring artists ask for advice, but what I feel like they’re asking is how they make this a career where the opportunities are plentiful, the money is endless, they can do it only from 9-to-5, get a 401K, and feel happy 24/7.

Every person I’ve met in the creative world (especially in comics) has said the same thing. It’s a grind. But, if you love the art, I mean genuinely love it (as opposed to the potential for fame and money), then go for it. But, as many writers and artists have told me, 90% of us have a day job. So, prepare to work, even if you make it. And even when you do, enjoy it, because it may not last.

Also, while it may not feel like it should be important, your ability to work and communicate with others is highly important. VERY few people are talented enough to never have to interact with others. Instead, most must be able to work with each other.

Editors have told me that they don’t care if you’re talented. If you’re not professional, no one’s going to give you the opportunity, especially if you’re rude, always late, flakey, or overly stubborn. You don’t have to be the life of the party or admired by the masses. But surely, you have to be reliable and don’t be a d*&k. 

Website: nathanielcayanan.com

Instagram: @nathan_a.k.a

Crystal was feeling emotionally and physically drained from her job before she finally decided to quit. She didn’t have any plans lined up when she did, which was very unlikely for her. So she decided to pursue something she’s passionate about – stickers and stationery.

Juice Box Club was molded out of creativity, perseverance, and determination. This small business has faced numerous hurdles along the way, from financial uncertainty to unexpected delays in product arrivals. But despite the challenges, Crystal has remained committed to her dream of sharing her unique designs with the world.

Crystal’s designs are inspired by real-life experiences, from personal passions like fitness and mental health to inside jokes with friends. And speaking of friends, Crystal recently launched a new collection of plushies called Boba Friends, inspired by her own friend group and their real-life pets.

Now, her small business is more than just a sticker shop. She is now designing and selling lifestyle items (glassware, tote bags, apparel) and even plushies! Let’s dive into the story of how The Juice Box Club was born.

HOW THE JUICE BOX CLUB CAME TO LIFE

The process of setting up my own stationery shop was very nerve-racking and exciting at the same time. When I first started off, I used Etsy and I had a lot of support from people back home in New York City, where I was born and raised. However, when I learned that it took a huge chunk of the profits, I took it off and started my own website. I registered my shop as an LLC because I felt like this was going to be a long-term commitment.

I decided to start my own stationery shop because it was always a hobby and passion of mine. I would always collect envelopes, paper, and stickers. 

The concept of The Juice Box Club came from some drawings I did and then while I was sharing it with my friend, we were messaging about a cute name. The Juice Box Club kinda reminded me a little bit of The Breakfast Club, an extremely memorable movie, and that’s what I wanted my brand to be.

OVERCOMING BUSINESS HURDLES

The challenges I have faced circled around finance, having too many ideas, running it by myself, products not arriving on time, machines not working, and rejection.

Finance — in terms of not knowing if I’ll make any sales this week or the next. I do sign up for a lot of in-person pop-up events! I rely on that more than my online sales since the internet nowadays is so funky with algorithms. I also like interacting with customers because they have an opportunity to get to know the brand firsthand.

Having too many ideas — definitely a challenge because I didn’t wanna grow too fast and then have a bunch of inventory. I used to work in fashion and I was used to always developing NEW items. I felt like I had to do the same with my brand, but I realized that I don’t and it’s okay to slow it down. 

Running the business by myself — also pretty hard! Sometimes I would ask my friends if they’d want to help me at bigger events. But most of the time, I’m a one-woman team. I had to do everything from designing, packaging, shipping, content creation, handling emails, etc.

Products not arriving on time — There are times when I outsource items since I don’t have the time or the tools or make them. When I first started, I outsourced my stickers and they were LATE by 1-2 weeks. There was also another time when all of my plushies came EARLY and I had to store 12 big boxes (1,200 plushies total) in my garage and some in my house. 

My Cricuit machine was not working in the beginning — I was making and hand-cutting all my stickers. I gave my Cricut a break and went back and tried it again until it finally started to work properly.. after 5 months.  

Rejection is something I dealt with a lot growing up, so I thought I’m okay with it by now. But getting rejected by big conventions or wholesale sites hits differently. However, I learned to see it as dodging a bullet. If it’s meant to be, it will be, maybe at the right time.

DESIGNS INSPIRED FROM LIFE

Everything designed in my shop all ties into my life somehow. When I first started, I had seven juice box designs. Six of them were themed — three were inspired by my personal passion for fitness/bodybuilding and the other three were inspired by the importance of mental health because I’m a very functional-anxious person and have a hard time relaxing. 

Some of my juice box designs were inspired by my texts with my friends so you might find cute and funny quotes on them. For example, “broke b*tch juice” was inspired by my convo with my bestie, Beth, we always talk about how things are so expensive and how we’re always broke. Or if you see the Pokémon x Soju collection, it was a merge of my childhood and adulthood — because I grew up playing Pokemon with my brother and spent my college years pounding shots of soju.

THE BOBA FRIENDS

Growing up, I didn’t have a consistent group of friends. Most of them just either change or grow apart. But when I moved to California, I met my best friend who later on introduced me to my current friend group.

Some of us in the group have pets, so I then designed characters based on our pets, and their personalities reflect the owner! I called them Boba Friends because boba gatherings are one of the most common hangouts to do now! They have different flavors as well. I own the two cats, Platinum and Luna. My best friend Beth owns Sesame, a lionhead rabbit, and my friend Justin owns Kona, the Shiba Inu. Now none of us owns a bear or frog but I dedicated Ribberto the Frog and his personality to my late friend Josh because it was his favorite.

In the future, I plan to continue producing more drawings and products for The Juice Box Club. I hope to have my products in shops and stationery stores. I am also working on a YouTube channel to show my journey and reach more people.

Website: www.thejuiceboxclub.shop

Instagram: @thejuiceboxclub