Who Needs Light Design ...

... When you glow in the dark? Fantastic, creative choreography and synchronization. A cross between that infamous Japanese ping pong levitation skit and the Din & Tonics' black light serenade in Sanders Theater.

Enjoy!

Watch Glow-In-The-Dark Dancers on CollegeHumor

GET YOUR DANCE FIX: Breakdancing in the Raw...

We invite the Harvard Breakers to perform at Eastbound almost every year and we are often guests performing at the very same shows. Yet, after so many years performing together, we've yet to scratch the surface of understanding what breakdancing is all about!

Breakdancing has flooded pop culture through TV dance shows So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew. The shows do a wonderful job highlighting and showcasing the tricks, stunts, and styles of breakdancing, but doesn't quite pick up on the culture of breakdancing.

Thanks to Curtis Chan '08, former Harvard Breakers President, I went to a breakdancing battle in Cambridge. The battle was called Battle Boutique and was hosted in a shoe store called The Attic in Central Square. Local breakdancers and breakdancing fans all streamed into the store carrying their breakdancing gear (knee pads, wrist bands, bandannas, hats, sweats, beanies). The store installed a small woodden dance floor and set up DJ turntables in the corner. With just those three elements (dance floor, music, and dancers), the battle was ready to begin!

The judges were two universally acknowledged and understood top breakers today and from way back when (Old G's). This particular battle had two sections: B-Boy and Pop and Lock. The B-Boy section was teams of two battling against each other (2v2) and the Pop and Lock section was individuals battling against each other (1v1). Almost all of the dancers were affiliated with crews and are all familiar friends and faces. Competing dancers signed up to compete and then warmed-up in turns on the dance floor waiting for the official battle to begin.

What struck me as strange was how the breakdancing world felt like a club or tribe with an understood hierarchy and way of doing things. There's a common style of dress and affinity for unique names like Megatron, Flow Boy, Gyro, Snap, O-Sheet, A-Boogie, Lady Beast, etc.) Breakdancers are true artists who respect and celebrate the art of breakdancing through dancing alone. Perhaps to subvert the potential for individuals to assume a superego, applause and cheering was rare, until a huge crowd was finally gathered. Though the battles had an implied sense of aggression and confrontation even in the more informal cypher (circle) battles, each breaker exhibits a understood respect for the other and his or her skills. The hardest thing for me to wrap my head around was the fact that nothing was choreographed! Music just continued to play and you danced however you wanted! It's difficult to explain this in words, but simply put, the breaking culture is completely different from the ballet world. Rather than continuing to drone on and try to capture my impressions in words, enjoy these videos instead! I would highly recommend going to a battle and getting a sense of breakdancing in its truest form!


Cyphering (note that there are b-girls in the bunch!)


Popping


Popping Battle (the little kid won!)


More Popping


B-girl Lady Beast Poppin'

2005 - The year with the amazing emcees and the innovative breakers

Sadly, you can only see these amazing emcees and the breakers if you get the DVD ;)  For all the other acts... they're now available on youtube!

"Single Asians" (parody of Single Ladies)

So there's this amusing video of Yale's Mixed Company's parody of Beyonce's Single Ladies.  Some interesting stereotypes mentioned.

Keep us updated!

Hey fellow alums,

In case you have performances (dance-related or otherwise) coming up, let us know!! And post pics and YouTube videos!

For example, I heard that Lisa Leung does a law school show called The Libel--go Lisa!!

This is not necessarily something to be extremely proud of, but I choreographed and taught a routine to my coworkers in Hong Kong for our company Olympics' "cheerleading competition."
The video is here: http://viv-wu.blogspot.com/2008/09/no-consolation-prize.html

-viv

EASTBOUND 2009 DVDS....Order them Now!

Missed Eastbound 2009 or just want to keep watching your favorite dances over and over again? Order a DVD today! Click here to order!

Please make checks payable to Harvard Asian American Dance Troupe and mail the check to:
Moonlit Wang
358 Kirkland Mail Center
Cambridge, MA 02138

Please also add $5 for shipping! E-mail mmli@fas.harvard.edu if you have any questions!

Reminisce with a taste of Eastbound 2004

Hey,

I'm slowly converting old Eastbound DVDs into youtube video. 2004 (the year in which Jiajia and Mindy were captains) has just been posted up to youtube. Go check out old dances and reminisce about the good ole days at:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E329840006C26FB6

Lisa Leung
AADT alum '07

EASTBOUND 2009 is SOLD OUT!!!!

This e-mail sums it all up...

Hi does anyone have an extra Eastbound ticket?

They've sold like hot cakes and I've been left cakeless.

Thanks!
Jonathan

Break a leg y'all...I can't wait for the show!

-Eva :)

EASTBOUND 2009

It's time for EASTBOUND yet again! And this time...we've got TWO shows!



This year's EASTBOUND will feature traditional dances from the Dai minority, Xin Jiang minority, and Korea, contemporary pieces where East meets West, Korean Hip Hop, Harvard Wushu, and Harvard Philippine Forum.

Dates:
March 13 and March 14
8PM

Location
Lowell Lecture Hall

Tickets are $7 (Harvard Students and Affiliates) and $9 (General and At Door)available with AADT members and at the Harvard Box Office. Contact lee36@fas.harvard.edu or ayzhang@fas.harvard.edu. Click here for ticketing information.

Check out the Promo Video!


Come and bring friends! Hope to see y'all there!

INITIATIVES: Media Swap!

What was the name of that groovy song you just danced to? Want to see the moves again?
Half the fun of rehearsals is discovering cool new music and moves. Just because we’re spread in different places as alumni doesn’t mean we can’t keep sharing. That’s why we’d like YOU to tell us your favorite dance tracks and video recs. This issue we’re getting the ball rolling with our choices for the categories below. Enjoy the Youtube Videos of our choices!

Fun and Funky
Thé á la Menthe by La Caution


Feedback by Janet Jackson


Mercy by Duffy


Lolli Lolli by Three 6 Mafia


Classic Refinement
Full of Joy (Chinese Folk Song; Chinese title 喜洋洋) by The Chieftains


Fusion Cocktail

Aisha by Khaled


N’tya by Kore & Skalp


Cutesy Pie

I’m Yours by Jason Mraz


Candy by HOT


Top Videos

Qian Hong


Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson


Run It by Chris Brown
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8vI1R4L4ac&feature=channel_page

ALUMNI CORNER: Where in the World is AADT?

Whether we know it or not– AADT has gone GLOBAL! Your favorite dance partners are almost everywhere. Take this new information and run with it: have fun, laugh, reunite, whatever you want!

ALUMNI CORNER: AADT Senior Dance

The end of May is always a time of mixed emotions. Relief, because final exams are over and we are finally free for the summer! Happiness, because we now have time to hang out with friends and celebrate the end of another year. Stress, because we realize that we are now left with just one day to pack and move everything into storage before we head home. Sadness, because we must temporarily say good-bye to our friends for the summer. But for the seniors left with a week of senior events and Commencement, all of these emotions are magnified about 10 times because this time we are given time to reflect upon our individual college journeys, reconnect with our fellow seniors, feel excited about the wide open future ahead of us, and say good-bye to fair Harvard one last time.

My college journey, despite being the stereotypical premed student was defined by AADT. Whether it was goofing off during rehearsals, feeling like a zoo animal while rehearsing in the Dunster squash courts, accidentally burning my fingers while refining the edges of pieces of cloth that could magically turn into beautiful costumes on stage, wondering where the hours went as I sat in front of my computer madly typing away AADT e-mails, bumping into AADTers at parties and collectively out-dancing everyone in the room with AADT cloud hands, gobbling down sandwiches together in between rehearsals, shaking my booty in front of a large audience of strangers for the first time while Tom Lowe was singing, listening for that moment of silence just before the audience breaks into applause milliseconds after the very last move in a piece, teaching, learning, and sharing dance moves with AADT, or feeling like a real dancer every EASTBOUND -these were some of my happiest moments in college that I will forever cherish.

Because AADT was such an important part of my college experience, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to spend a part of my senior week rehearsing and performing with my wonderful fellow AADT seniors in the Senior Talent Show on May 29, 2008. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to end my full-time involvement with AADT than to perform on the stage of Sanders Theater to Wang Lee Hom’s Hua Tian Cuo alongside some of my favorite AADTers who have been there from the very beginning. To all of AADT and a special shout-out to AADT Seniors Class of 2008: Thank you for an unforgettable four years!

Eva Luo ‘08



CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS!
Cindy Cen
Madelyn Ho
Elsa Kim
Eva Luo
May Luo
Vicki Mach
Yangda Ou
Lisa Pao
Adam Sang
Timothy Schmidt
Stephanie Teng
Vivien Wu
Jennings Xu
Jimmy Zhao
Annetta Zhou

Our Four Years...

I liked it :) it was fun:) and I really liked the fact that we were all trying to figure things out together that's my favorite part about AADT.
-Annetta Zhou ‘08


"Participating in the AADT senior dance turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my senior year. I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to alleviate EASTBOUND withdrawal, as well as bond with some awesome AADTers. I will do this again in a heartbeat!"
-Vicki Mach ‘08



Performing one last time with AADT was an amazing experience I will never forget! The last minute rehearsals, quality bonding time, stage lights and music, homemade safety pinned costumes, wild familiar audiences, dancing with beautiful AADTers, we sure pulled it off! It was the perfect ending to my time with AADT in college.
-May Luo ‘08



As an "AADT veteran" I didn't think I would be nervous, but I was almost hyperventilating when we left the green room and waited offstage at Sanders to perform for the Senior Talent Show! I was nervous because we had really only had 2 or 3 rehearsals before we performed...but then, it wouldn't be a Senior Talent Show if it hadn't been put together hastily between consecutive nights of heavy drinking and sleeping till noon ^_^ And it wouldn't have been an authentic AADT performance if our costumes had not been handmade with safety pins and rectangles of shiny cloth. Girls came up to us afterwards and said "Where did you get those tops? I want to buy one!" The AADT wardrobe never fails to impress :D
-Vivien Wu ‘08

DIRECT FROM AADT: Introducing AADT Board 2008-2009...

Hello Alums!
Everyone in AADT calls me Jbling, but my real name is Jieliang. Next year, I will be a sophomore in Dunster house (if I passed my finals). I have seen every Youtube video ever uploaded. I eat more than half the boys at Harvard. I nap like it's my part-time job. And I follow Desperate Housewives religiously. Occasionally I dabble in drawing, painting and photography.

I knew I wanted to be in AADT since the pre-frosh activities fair. Dancing has always been my love. Growing up in China, I had Chinese dance lessons every weekend. After settling in Wisconsin, I started choreographing and teaching Chinese dance for my high school. I was thrilled to find AADT on campus, knowing that I could continue doing what I loved. Since then, I have grown to love AADT more with each day. It was everyone's dedication to the group, compassion for each other, and passion for dancing that encouraged me to run for captain. I cannot wait until next year and another fabulous EASTBOUND. Along with Tara, whom I love dearly already (see picture for evidence), I will give everything I have to make AADT a great experience for our dancers!

AADT love,
Jieliang Hao, Co-captain 2008-2009

Hi Alums!
My name is Tara Tai (hip-hop alias: "Tiny Packet of Fury"), a junior studying Neurobiology and absolutely enamored with my co-captain, Jieliang Hao. I've been with AADT since the beginning of my freshman year, even though I didn't really get into it until the end of EASTBOUND 2007. After an amazing first experience, I ran for IT/Design chair on a whim, and have been designing DVDs, sorting through costumes, and making random CVS runs ever since. I'm really excited for EASTBOUND 2009 next year, and hope to see not only EASTBOUND grow as a performance, but the troupe develop as well, both technically and socially. Just a bit about myself, I hail from a tiny town called Yardley back in lovely Pennsylvania. I actually never danced prior to AADT, and all my friends back home think I'm lying to them when I talk about dancing. I also love singing, playing the violin, making random animal noises, and playing nerdy video games. I am pre-med by default, but will probably end up trying to write novels in my parent's basement. Beyond that, look forward to next year to learn more!

AADT Love,
Tara Tai, Co-captain 2008-2009



Hi Alums!
I’ve always wanted to try out dancing and AADT gave me that chance. Since joining freshman year, it’s been one activity that I have consistently participated in during the past two years and I love it! It is such a great community with caring and energetic people. I find myself looking forward to dance rehearsals every week to see your happy faces. I’m very excited to be on board this year because every member of the board is truly dedicated to AADT and I can’t wait to be a part of the next chapter of this amazing troupe =)

Ang Li, Social Chair 2008-2009



Hi AADT and alums,
I’m the new Design/IT Chair. Dancing with AADT has become such an important part of my life. The troupe is like a family to me far away from home. I love both art and dancing, so I am very happy that I’m given the opportunity to contribute back to AADT. With the rest of the board, we’ll do our best to make AADT ‘08-’09 a fun and rewarding experience for our fellow troupers!

AADT <3!!
Moonlit Wang, Design/IT Chair 2008-2009



Hi Alums!
I am a junior in Leverett House concentrating in Economics and completing a secondary field in mathematical sciences. I joined AADT last year during which I choreographed Mulan Returns and danced in Diana’s beautiful He Tang Yue Se. I admit that I had joined AADT with my mind fixated largely on the dancing and performing. I was almost taken aback by the community and love that is AADT. Now I’m more glad than ever that I decided to show up at that opening rehearsal. I’m pumped to be on the board, and I’m looking forward to another great year and another breathtaking EASTBOUND!

Love,
Anna Zhang, Treasurer/Costume Manager 2008-2009



Hi Alums!
My name is Danielle Lee, and I'm a sophomore in Kirkland House. Last year I joined AADT without any dance background , but with experience doing gymnastics from high school. I started in the troupe tentatively and hesitantly, but now I've grown to be a proud member of AADT. I discovered that I could actually dance, and developed many friendships along the way. I'm really excited to be secretary and I'm looking forward to an exciting new year!

Love,
Danielle Lee, Secretary 2008-2009



Hi Alums!
Having been Secretary/Treasurer and Co-Captain in previous years, I’ve certainly seen my share of AADT-love. Our fearless new leaders have been good enough to ask this senior to stick around for another year as Alumni Liaison, so in the coming months I look forward to meeting all of the alums and helping them stay connected with AADT, being used as manual labor for moving costumes, and seeing the board perpetuate the tradition of inopportune nudity jokes. Here’s to AADT ‘08-’09!

Love,
Diana Lu, Alumni Liaison 2008-2009

DIRECT FROM AADT: AADT Co-Captains 2007-2008 Say Good-Bye...

Dear AADT,

After finding out that I had been elected captain, I remember being apprehensive, nervous, but most of all excited. These feelings remained through the first board meeting, the first general rehearsal, and even to our bow at EASTBOUND. Now as I have finally passed on the captainship, I find myself again immersed in AADT-caused emotions, with satisfaction, happiness and confidence mixing around in my head. Between the drama, the excitement, and all the dancing, this year has undoubtedly been an amazing experience.

My favorite memories include recruiting at the activity fair, the rush both during and after EASTBOUND, reminiscing on the freakouts of the year, and seeing the smiles of other company members. Nothing could really have prepared me for communicating through noises, or that crab dances would become our signature dance move, but I think that's ultimately what I am going to remember the most.

I think the most difficult part of this year revolved around dealing with, at times, obnoxiously complicated situations. These events were mixtures of miscommunication, misunderstandings, and overall frustration from many parties, and tended to build upon themselves rather easily. Looking back, I definitely can think of problems that I could have handled better, so this year's been a good learning experience for me.

So, for a final closing idea: things that I'll miss. There will definitely be some parts of the captainship that I'm a bit more willing to let go, such as having to try and fix things when everything goes wrong. However, isn't that what the position is all about? This year's been a mess of problems, successes, new ventures, plans for the future, and every part has been absolutely essential, and I will (strangely enough) miss it all. Despite all the rantings and ravings, there's something to be said about being an AADT captain, and I know I will miss it next year. With that being said, cheers to Tara and Jieliang, and best wishes for (what I already know will be) an amazing year!

Love,
Anna Liu

Dear AADT,

AADT 2007-2008 saw its share of excitement, as well as a number of challenges. In the beginning of the year, an enthusiastic recruiting effort by all of board saw membership swell to 75+. We emphasized more extensive jazz-based general training for beginners (that is, until dancers inevitably became too busy to consistently attend.) We brokered new dance styles into our repertoire, including South Asian fusion, spinning with dangerous weapons, lyrical, and the now-infamous pelvic thrusting. We received word from Lowell that our usual April performance date had been slotted instead to March. We retaliated by having EASTBOUND completely sell out two weeks before show time (WOOT!) But possibly most important of all, we sweated together, joked together, whined together, and in the process, strengthened old friendships and made some anew. It is with a measure of sadness (but mostly a whole lot of relief) that I pass the torch onto Tara and Jieliang. The past year has been frenzied but fulfilling, and I am happy with the growth we have achieved as dancers and as a troupe. I wish you two lovebirds the best of luck for next year, for your vision of how AADT will change and for your execution thereof. Can't wait to see what you have in store for all of us!

Love,
Diana Lu

DIRECT FROM AADT: EASTBOUND 2008 Highlights

EASTBOUND 2008 had even greater diversity and difficulty in dance styles than ever before, featuring modern Chinese dance, Peking Opera style dance, fusion, Japanese, Mongolian, martial, Dai minority, modern sword technique, hip-hop, lyrical, and modern ribbon. With guest performances from the Harvard Breakers Organization, the Harvard Philippine Forum, South Asian Dance Company, and Harvard Wushu, EASTBOUND 2008 did not fail to WOW the audience.

The audience was as encouraging as it was large, screaming dancers’ names at the start of each piece, laughing along with hosts, Nworah Ayogu ’10 and Felix Zhang ’11, and waving around posters with dancers’ names. The hip hop medley finale was particularly awe-inspiring because the biggest EASTBOUND 2008 cast from freshmen to graduate students ran onto stage to take their final bow.

EASTBOUND was a wonderful experience for all. Brian Na '09, an enthusiastic EASTBOUND audience member gushed, "EASTBOUND is a great cultural smorgasbord that features really talented people. It's also really great to see all of your friends. You know they work really hard and it's truly inspiring to see the fruits of their hard work."
-Brian Na ‘09

As usual, EASTBOUND always represents something extra special for our newbies and seniors.

"I never danced a step before AADT and now I can do something!"
-Kate Xie ‘10


Melodies of Mongolia

"As EASTBOUND 2008 came around the corner, the last-minute rehearsals, scrambling to find the right hair and flower accessories, and flurries of panicked email chains were all too familiar. This was my fourth EASTBOUND...of course I knew how to handle it like a pro, right? Actually...WRONG! I freaked out more about this EASTBOUND than any EASTBOUND before. I was literally hyperventilating as the clock ticked closer and closer to how time and I STILL had not put on enough blush and black eyeliner yet. I was so nervous because more of my friends and family came to this EASTBOUND than any EASTBOUND before, and it would be my very last undergrad performance in Lowell Lecture Hall. But once the house lights dimmed, there was no stopping the dynamism that is always EASTBOUND. It was so exciting to perform for such a packed house and it was so gratifying to show them all my four years of work."
-Vivien Wu ‘08



The end of EASTBOUND gave AADT a short period of rest from performances, but EASTBOUND’s popularity quickly spread across campus and AADT was invited to perform at several unconventional events including the Woodbridge Society’s Grand Fiesta, Tuesday Magazine’s prefrosh orientation, Identities Fashion Show, and Pforzheimer House’s Spring Formal. AADT closed the year with a reprise of both He Tang Yue Se and Fusion at ARTS First, a Cambridge-wide celebration of the arts on May 2, 2008.

And by the end of the year, AADT Love was all-around! Although AADT 2007-2008 was stressful, AADT can celebrate another year of tremendous growth and success. Congratulations to everyone!


Hip Hop "Whose Name?"


EASTBOUND Hosts Having Fun


Ribbon


FUSION at ARTS First


Dai Parasol


He Tang Yue Se


Mulan


Martial


Imperial at Pforzheimer Spring


Memoirs of a Geisha

DIRECT FROM AADT: AADT 2007-2008 Recap

The 2007-2008 academic year gave AADT the opportunity to accomplish new goals and embark on new challenges. AADT’s robust fall recruitment efforts resulted in an astounding influx of enthusiastic newcomers; making space at Sunday general rehearsals was surprisingly difficult. But, what really tested AADT’s dance and time management skills was the unusually early date of AADT’s annual spring showcase, EASTBOUND.

AADT’s first spring performance was Cultural Rhythms, the Harvard Foundation’s annual show to celebrate cultural and racial diversity, on March 1, 2008. This year, the show was hosted by 12-time Grammy winner, Herbie Hancock. AADT graced the stage of Sander’s Theater with a long flutter fan piece called He Tang Yue Se, arranged by co-captain Diana Lu ’09. Audience members were wowed by AADT’s transformation into
delicate purple and green lily pads on the water.

"It really was 'gorgeous.' I was so impressed. Graceful, stunning choreography, beautiful outfits, well performed, everything!"
-Whitney Ajie ‘08

Herbie Hancock, taking note from past Cultural Rhythms host, Will Smith, even tried giving the flutter fans a twirl. AADT was not the only highlight of the show. Ballet Folklorico, Harvard’s Jazz Band Ensemble, the Harvard Breaker’s Organization, Candela Salsa, Kumba, the Gumboots, Harvard Wushu, and many others were also crowd favorites.


He Tang Yue Se at Cultural Rhythms 2008

Unlike previous years, co-captains Diana Lu ’09 and Anna Liu ’10 had no time for a breather after a successful Cultural Rhythms because EASTBOUND was scheduled for March 14, 2008— just two weeks later! AADT was quickly charged into turbo drive as choreographers rushed to finish and clean up dances and dancers ran from rehearsal to rehearsal. AADT seniors were particularly pulled thin as they juggled preparing for EASTBOUND while performing in Ghungroo, the South Asian Association’s annual cultural show.


Eastbound 2008 Company

Despite the challenges that an earlier EASTBOUND brought with it, EASTBOUND 2008 exceeded everyone’s expectations. Within just three days of tickets going on sale at the Harvard Box Office, EASTBOUND was completely SOLD OUT! It was as if the entire campus was scrambling to get their hands on an EASTBOUND ticket.

"With the box office sold out many days in advance, and AADT members all out of consignment tickets, it was like a treasure hunt that last week to find the precious few tickets that were still unclaimed. As ticket manager, I found my inbox flooded with flurries of desperate emails. It seemed like everybody out there knew somebody else that still needed a ticket. EASTBOUND is definitely one hot show!"
-Gina Moy ‘09, AADT Treasurer

On the day of the show, all dancers united to help each other with make-up, costumes, and last minute impromptu rehearsals. AADT mothers and our wonderful male dancers helped iron and steam our costumes. AADT parents stocked each dressing room with water and snacks, and several AADT family members and friends helped coordinate the recording of EASTBOUND. When 8:15pm hit, Yunjie Ma (MIT ’08), our lighting director, dimmed the lights and the first group of dancers walked on stage to open a heart-stopping show.

AADT Alumni Newsletter 5, 6, 7, 8 NEW Format!

Dear AADT and AADT Alumni,

When many of us started dancing with AADT, music was stored on CDs and played on cumbersome boomboxes. Now it's iPods and iPhones hooked up to tiny but powerful speakers! So, in order to push us forward into the latest form of communication, we've done away with the large PDF form of the AADT Alumni Newsletter "5, 6, 7, 8." Ushering us into the realm of Web 2.0, please allow us to introduce to you: the AADT Alumni Newsletter "5, 6, 7, 8" in blog format!

Look forward to:

• More frequent updates
  
• Greater sharing of videos, pictures, and websites
  
• Contributions from the entire AADT community
  
• And much, much, more!

Articles and pictures from Issue 2 will be our first posts on the blog.

As always, remember, this is YOUR newsletter. Please leave us any suggestions, questions, or comments on this blog or e-mail us at aadt.alumni@gmail.com. Thank you and enjoy the new "5, 6, 7, 8"!

Mindy Hsu (Capt. 03-04)
Jia Jia Liu (Capt. 03-04)
Diana Lu (Capt. 07-08, Alumni Liaison Officer 08-09)
Eva Luo (Capt. 05-06)