An Engineer's Dream of Grace
—— Joy G.
I'm an engineer through and through. To me, dance belonged to artists and naturally graceful women, and performing on stage felt out of reach. Square dancing seemed like exercise, not art. I never imagined I would one day perform confidently on an NBA stage.
It started with a video. Over two years ago, a friend mentioned Wulin Dahui and Teacher Xiaoxue, and I didn't think much of it. Then, in my high school parents' group, I saw local Chinese moms performing War Horse at an NBA pregame show: dressed in red, powerful and striking. Group dance, I realized, could be truly cool.
When my company planned its Lunar New Year celebration, I messaged Teacher Xiaoxue for help, and she agreed right away. I brought seven or eight colleagues to join the Snow Angels Dance Group to learn Good Luck Comes. I meant to perform once and be done, but I fell in love with dancing. I found sisters with backgrounds like mine and reconnected with old friends, coworkers and neighbors. Later, Snow Angels' Snow Dragon was performed on the NBA stage, and this year we brought it to my company's New Year celebration, where colleagues from many backgrounds loved it.
Dance has given me far more than steps. For someone with little sense of rhythm, it proved that anything is possible. For an engineer like me, it opened a window to beauty: I left my old tomboy look behind, and now I truly enjoy dressing up and feeling feminine.
It turns out an engineer can have her dream of grace, too.
Written October 2026