TED 27 | Challenging Cultural Expectations through Bachata with Anna Kan

The Empowered Dancers Podcast

Anna Kan is a bachata dancer who is no stranger to being in a cultural minority at dance events. In her open and welcoming way, Anna offers us a window into her rich cultural background and talks us through her bachata journey, including how it felt when she met her local east/southeast Asian bachata teacher, as well as experiencing places where other people of her culture see bachata dancing as the norm.
Shout out to Melody Wills of Bristol and Pierre Henry of London for the inspiration they have provided Anna and so many others in their dancing journeys.
What to expect in this episode:
(01:08) - Connecting to bachata through the music
(02:25) - Anna’s asian cultural experience + dance
(05:02) - Bachata from a vulgar perspective?
(07:08) - My teacher in Bristol is also Asian!
(09:14) - Bachata can remove barriers such as age, skin colour, culture and we connect
(11:14) - Bachata to hot air ballooning - our hobbies can remove cultural barriers
(13:22) - Are you paying attention to your partner?
(14:38) - A lesson from Pierre Henry
About Anna Kan
Anna is Bristol-based dancer with Russian, Mongolian, and Korean backgrounds and moved to the UK at 11, adopting a new culture. Dance has always been a core part of Anna’s Mongolian and Russian traditions, and it is present at any social gatherings. Although bachata has become a significant part of her life, Anna still makes time for her other passions, which include hot air ballooning , cooking and acting.
About Bobbie Miles:
Bobbie Miles is a social dancer based in Bristol. The salsa, bachata, and kizomba scene is special to so many, Bobbie included. The more she danced however, the more she became aware of inappropriate behaviours in the scene, ranging from low-level “creepiness” to undeniable abuses of power. Bobbie realised that she will no longer keep quiet, be subjected to any sort of misconduct, and nor should anyone else. She is an advocate for speaking up, boundary setting, and respect in the dance scene. Through The Empowered Dancers Podcast, she promotes transparency, understanding, and accountability and as a public speaker, she talks about putting boundary setting and respect into practice, both on and off the dance floor.
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