I Joined a Dance Society

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So I joined a dance group this semester, and three weeks ago, we performed in front of a crowd of over 200 people. And I had the time of my life.

Iโ€™ve always loved dancing ever since I was a little boy, and in college, I was part of a dance group for three semesters. Coming into Hong Kong, I knew I wanted to be part of the dance society as the dance culture here is such a huge thing according to the TV dramas I grew up watching. I remember at the audition, I was so nervous and messed up so badly that I legit though I wasnโ€™t going to make it. However, I guess they saw something in me and decided to accept me to be part of the Jazz Funk Team, and that was the beginning of a very long dance journey.

Practice is 4 days a week โ€“ Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday โ€“ and 3-4 hours per day. That adds up to a whopping 12-16 hours a week. That literally exceeded my expectations as I was used to having 3 hours practice per week back at my home university. On top of that, everyone was so amazingly talented and seemed to be getting everything so quickly. I was feeling so insecure, but luckily, I met a local female friend and she was really patient and taught me the moves step by step.

Once show day approached, I realized that there was also something different. Instead of performing on stage, we were going to perform in a park where we could be seen from every angle. On top of that, my outfit was kind of scandalous and exposing, but thatโ€™s another story. On the day of the show, there was so many people that I was so excited yet nervous. However, once the music hit, I let all my inhibitions go and started to channel my inner Britney Spears. I felt sassy, I felt fierce, and I definitely felt confident.

Looking back, I am so happy to have made the decision to be part of the dance team. Even though it was a huge time commitment, I met some really cool people and it seems like theyโ€™re my second family as I literally saw them almost every day. I am really going to miss seeing this group of talented and loving individuals. I am not sure if I am going to join again next semester, but I am happy to say that I joined a dance group in Hong Kong and performed in a crowd of over 200 people.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qEooUghs4E

Tan Vu

<i>Hello in your host country language</i>: ไฝ ๅฅฝ (Ni Hao) <i>University</i>: University of California Berkeley <i>Expected graduation year</i>: 2019 <i>Destination</i>: Hong Kong <i>Program Provider</i>: University of California Education Abroad Program <i>Major / minor</i>: Media Studies and Social Welfare double major <i>Language of Study</i>: Cantonese <i>Demographic background</i>: Asian-American, First-generation, LGBTQ <i>Future career aspirations</i>: entertainment/film industry <i>Top 3 goals for study abroad</i>: coming out of my comfort zone; doing as many excursions as possible, joining multiple student organizations, and traveling to other countries to gain more problem-solving skills and be a more independent person; learn more about the media culture in Hong Kong and how that has an effect on the countryโ€™s culture to have a more diverse knowledge of the film industry