Bright reds, pinks and greens move gracefully across the stage as hand fans flutter and twist. Dressed in a Chinese costume with a fan in her hand, sophomore Cara Chin performed “The Love of China,” a Chinese dance with a classical twist. She performed in front of many people at parties and on television; a privilege earned after dancing for 11 years.“I started dancing when I was four,” Chin said. “My sister enjoyed it, so my mom put me in hoping I would like it, too.”
Chin enjoyed dancing and decided to stick with it. Unlike professional pointe dancing, this activity has a low budget and does not require participants to pay very much.
“We have to pay for costumes and props every once in awhile,” Chin said. “But they aren’t that expensive and they are worth it.”
Before she performs in traditional Chinese dress, Cara has to practice for hours. While she enjoys rehearsing the dances over and over during practice, Cara does not like the 45-minute warm up that comes before the actual dancing.
“Warm up is the worst,” Chin said. “It takes too long and all we do are long, drawn out stretches.”
After stretching, Cara and her dancing friends rehearse the dance they will perform for their next event. For hours, the dancers repeat the routine to get it perfect for the end production.
“Rehearsing the dances is the best part of being a dancer,” Chin said. “I love the movements and how the dances look great as we get closer to the performance.”
All of the hard work of Cara and her friends has paid off. Cara has been on television three times while dancing “The Love of China.”
“I’ve been on Austin City Limits,” Chin said. “It’s really fun and exciting to be on television.”
However, Cara doesn’t usually dance on TV, in the studio, or at parties. Cara spends most of her mornings swimming for the school team. Cara spends many hours in the pool and at meets with her teammates. Dancing gives her a respite.
“I love rehearsing dances with my friends,” Chin said. “It’s really nice to see a different group of faces every now and then.”
