Lady Gaga Makes Me Speechless...

I just had to share this amazing video! HT: Elsa Kim

Movin' That Jelly: First Biorhythms Dance Rehearsal

At a recent doctor's appointment, the nurse very kindly told me, "Try to make the extra effort to move around every day. Med school promotes a sedentary lifestyle."

It has not been easy to get in that daily dose of exercise. I have a 7-8 minute walk to class, which I inconsistently attend, and the cooling weather is triggering my body to reset it's eating set point to hibernation mode. My only outlet for dance has been when I decide to go out with my classmates (I must be getting old because even that's not very often). But...that all changed yesterday! That jelly that used to be my belly has finally gotten a chance to move in a productive way!

The University of Michigan med school produces a dance show every semester called Biorhythms (don't make fun of the name!). It operates in the same model as AADT. There are student choreographers, all med students are given the chance to sign up, and we are each assigned one-two dances to be in. I'll be teaching a modified version of Fan Fusion (Choreographer: YY Yang, Eastbound 2006) and I'm dancing in a hip hop dance. We had our very first hip hop rehearsal yesterday in a hallway outside a lecture hall and it was amazing!



We will be dancing to this song and the style is probably closer to music video pop. The concept is battle of high school cliques: nerds, jocks, goths, and the group of popular girls that everyone hates but secretly wishes they could be. As we learn the piece, we are supposed to pick a clique.

What clique would I best be able to pull off?

Woohoo...feels so great to dance again!

ELEMENTS X

...is definitely one of the hottest hip hop competitions on the East Coast. In fact, it's so hot, that the competition takes place at the Boston Colonial Theater and includes legit dance crews such as SoReal Cru and Fr3sh.

If you're willing to pay for the ticket, this is definitely NOT a show to miss out on!

The Bulletproof Fubes Project

Midterm season getting you down?

Really want to get out and your groove on in Boston?

I'm aware I might get beef for this, but apparently some of BU's hottest hip hop groups are hosting a series of free dance workshops this Saturday at the SAC Dance Studio at BU. For those who are interested to see what other youthful gangsta talents exist in Beantown, this is definitely a great way to explore hip hop AND Boston.

More info can be found at The Bulletproof Fubes's (in my opinion, the name's kind of weird) facebook events page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=170519303328

This is why dance is awesome.

-Courtesy of shirt.woot.com

See happy panda? Don't we all want to be a happy panda? =P

P.S. Students can officially move in 8/29/09! Time for another round of AADT!

YouTube - Mike Song Nintendo Wii Tutting Routine

YouTube - Mike Song Nintendo Wii Tutting Routine: ""



HT: Ann Cheung

Hip Hop Dance Party at Jacob's Pillow

"True, you might not often see ballerinas plunging into the genre’s signature head spins and windmills, but the b-boy’s and b-girl’s loosely undulating torso and breathtakingly melting yet casual way of taking to the floor have seeped into the movement vocabulary of many in-demand contemporary choreographers."

- Boston Globe

Similarly to jazz music, hip hop is finally being taken more seriously as a dance form, evident by SYTYCD and ABDC. As another testament of its legitimacy in the dance world, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival has included hip hop as a segment in its program. Check out the article - and go hip hop! =)

AADT and Harvard Expressions

We had a record number of AADT members perform with Expressions Spring 2009.

Gina Moy
Allie Chen
Anna Liu
YY Yang
Yohsuke Miyamoto
Feifei Yi
Mike Wu
Shelly Hofmeister
Elsa Kim
Mark Terrelonge

Enjoy this video plus many more credit to Elsa here.


Choreographed by Mark Terrelonge

AADT on SYTYCD!

Check it out! AADT on So You Think You Can Dance!

around 9 minutes

Sword dance

That's the kind of fusion style I like!
The Zhejiang wushu team performs at the 2004 Zhejiang International Traditional Wushu Tournament.

new captains <3

DIRECT FROM AADT: EASTBOUND 2009 to CRUNKBOUND 2009

First there was EASTBOUND 2009.

The HOTTEST dance show of the YEAR.

All EASTBOUND photos shown on post are courtesy of the lovely Shang Chen: shangchenphoto.com










For more EASTBOUND 2009 photos, check out these fantastic photos taken by Sam Lipoff here
Thank you to both Shang and Sam for the wonderful photos and memories!

...
...
...
...
...


THEN.....
There was CRUNKBOUND
The 2nd HOTTEST show of the YEAR



CRUNKBOUND '09 Show Order: (* = strength)

Flames of the Forest
Malibu, Kiwi Lime Infused Vodka, Lemon juice, Orange juice, Sprite ***

Joy to the Beats
Bailey's, Kaluha, Peppermind Schnapps layered and shaken over ice with chocolate shavings ****

East meets West
Smirnoff Vodka and Capt. Morgan's Spiced Rum *****

Intermission

Tao Yao (Peach Maidens)
Peach Schnapps, Mango Infused Vodka, Pineapple Juice, Mango Juice, Tonic Water, over ice **

Spring Mountain after the Rain
Malibu, Bananna Berry Infused Vodka, Pineapple juice, shaken over ice ***

Purple Line
Vodka, Passionfruit Infused Vodka, Cola ****

Hip Hop Medley
Drinks on demand: Screwdrivers, Vodka tonic, Malibu coke/orange, beer etc.

There was:

dancing
drunkenness
M.I.A.
Asian *Glow*
grinding
plenty of Britney
sandwiches
Get Low
Breakers
In the Ayer
heat
...and so much more...

Some pictures from the night...and I've tried to keep it PG...okay, PG-13?









Favorite line of the night: "Frank, can I have a Tao Yao"

FILL in the BLANK: CRUNKBOUND was...

Because it makes you feel good....

DANCE!



I'm a little late in finding this video...
Matt Harding's video is an internet/youtube phenonmenon, and I think it really hits a universal chord. Why dance? Because you wanna and it makes you feel good! I really love Harding's spirit in his jig and hope you all enjoy the video!

Click here to read the New York Times article about the video.

Health Tip: A study published in 2003 in the New England Journal of Medicine reports a lower risk for dementia among people over 75 who regularly danced during leisure time. The report also surprisingly mentions that other types of physical exercise didn’t affect dementia risk — dancing was the only physical activity that made a difference! Click here to read more and go out and dance dementia away!

This Is Dance (and Techno Julie Andrews)

That's what it's all about. At times, it's serious and graceful and solemnly beautiful, but at other times it's just pure, carefree joy! Dance is glorious and wonderful and human. You need ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages to g-g-get on up and DANCE. Plus, all 200 dancers are incredibly synchronized. Oh, AADT, if only you would learn ...



P.S. I'm dropping out of Harvard and moving to Belgium. Just thought I'd let you know.
P.P.S. Wait for it - watch the entire thing. It's worth all 4 minutes and 1 second of it.

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