Thumper: Being brave is easy.
Bambi: It is?
Thumper: Sure, watch this. Argh!
Flower: I think he's got a hairball.
Thumper: No, silly. I'm being brave. All you got to do is be scarier than whatever's scaring you.

—

The quote is from the movie “Bambi II,” one of my most favorite movies. It has some profound life quotes beautiful moments in there! Pretty special for a silly sequel animated Disney film.

It was such an honor to be a part of the first virtual Courageous Kids day in partnership with Starting Arts here in San Jose, CA! I used to attend this event every year with my family. It was such a great day to celebrate life, be with family, and not be the only weird bald kid walking around. I also stayed involved with this American Cancer Society event in college as a volunteer, setting up a friendship bracelet table as an Ambassador. It feels good to dig my heels in to the soil under my feet, reconnect with my Bay Area hometown, and give back to my community.

I hope this silly dance encouraged at least 1 kid to wiggle a little bit. If I did that, I did my job! I believe dance has such an incredible opportunity to heal both patients dealing with trauma, and parents and siblings dealing with the stress of it all.

Thankful for this opportunity.

10 things dance can do:

1. Empower our youth.
2. Lift spirits.
3. Challenge what we think is possible.
4. Build families & communities of love & support.
5. Create laughter.
6. Foster inclusiveness.
7. Create everlasting friendships.
8. Cultivate resilience and Grit.
9. Be our escape from reality.
10. Teach you to “go with the flow.”

Just some moments of joy, laughter, and inspiration that I’ve been meaning to share. 🥰☺️💛 I have hope that we will all dance together soon. These moments are my fuel to remember how NECESSARY it is to keep the arts alive right now. Thankful for all the teachers, mentors, friends, peers, students, and supporters who have contributed to my journey. We WILL and MUST dance again. Patience and hope will carry us through.

10 things dance can do: (in order of appearance) 1. Empower our youth. 2. Lift spirits. 3. Challenge what we think is possible. 4. Build families & communities of love & support. 5. Create laughter. 6. Foster inclusiveness. 7. Create everlasting friendships. 8. Cultivate resilience and Grit. 9. Be our escape from reality. 10. Teach you to "go with the flow." . . Just some moments of joy, laughter, and inspiration that I've been meaning to share. 🥰☺️💛 I have hope that we will all dance together soon. These moments are my fuel to remember how NECESSARY it is to keep the arts alive right now. Thankful for all the teachers, mentors, friends, peers, students, and supporters who have contributed to my journey. We WILL and MUST dance again. Patience and hope will carry us through. . . #dance #community #empower #youth #gowiththeflow #dgb #dancersgiveback #bripositive #choreography #danceclass #resilience #grit #heart #heal #movement #dancerslife #dancersofinstagram #artistsarenecessaryworkers #artists #artcanchangetheworld

“Draw a crazy picture, 
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-gumble song,
Whistle through your comb. 
Do a loony-goony dance 
'Cross the kitchen floor, 
Put something silly in the world 
That ain't been there before.” 

― Shel Silverstein

A piece about declaring love and respect for myself and this body, right here and now. Let it be known and repeated over and over:

“You’re so deserving.”

Performance from @wisefruitnyc 9.0!

THANK YOU:
@brindaguha for the opportunity to make a difference doing what I love!
@elodiedufroux& @michaela_catherine for bringing my moves to life!
to all my friends and Cal Bears in the audience! I felt so supported and loved!!