Swing Dance for Life!

Christine and I competing at ILHC

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I never really thought that dancing would be a big part of my life, but now it is.

Lindy Hop came into my life about two and half years ago. I started taking classes at City College of San Francisco with not only a great teacher and leader, but an awesome friend, David Blood. I can’t thank him anymore, continuously pushing me further and further to just get better at Lindy. But because of Capt. Blood, over the past two years, I’ve met great teachers, Carla Heiney and Nick Williams, made great friends, Christine, Kenny, and the rest of the Hot Bloods, and competed in a few Strictly Lindy and Jack n Jill Competitions as well as many performances.

As I began my travels for Lindy events, Christine had the great idea of doing the 24-hour Dance-a-thon. Last year, the one team that came down from San Francisco raised just over $7000 in the span of a 2-3 month period. As I wasn’t able to fund raise as much as others, I was one who helped keep a person on the floor in the late shifts. I ended up staying awake 23  of the 24 hours. My plan is to hopefully stay up the entire time.

Here’s a video of Christine and I during one performance

Yacht Club Swing- Christine and Ben

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Two years ago I started swing dancing because of my work. I’m an internal medicine primary care physician in Chinatown. What?! What does swing dancing have to do with that? Well, our hospital happened to have a Dancing With the Stars-themed holiday party for fun, and I got volunteered to be one of the contestants.  I had no idea what I was getting into.  Learned two routines in six weeks – phew!  But I was hooked.  After the party was over, I continued taking lindy hop classes and going out dancing, two, three, four…or more…times a week.  I feel more fit than I have in years, and I’m totally having fun doing it!  Plus, I’ve met some great friends.

I’m joining Team San Francisco this year to help raise money for cancer research, hoping to use my hobby to benefit others more broadly.  For people like my grandmother, who was in excellent health until she died of colon cancer.  For all my patients who have fought against cancer.  The father of two, who happily told me he had quit smoking, but was diagnosed with lung cancer barely two months later, and lost his battle in less than a year.  A young woman with a newborn baby, who had one older sister die of breast cancer, another sister diagnosed with breast cancer, and subsequently tested positive for a genetic mutation which gives her overwhelmingly high odds of developing breast cancer as well.  The woman who, after two months of back pain, learned that she had metastatic breast cancer – after five years, she is still a fighter and living a full and active life.  For them and the so many others.

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I would like to make dedications to four people.  The first is a friend who died of leukemia in 2nd grade.  His name was Martin.  The second dedication goes to good friend Liz, a survivor.  And the third goes to my dear friend Joann, a very courageous fighter. The last goes out to my best friend Aaron. He is lucky, if you can say that about a guy who has had two brain tumors and two brain surgeries.  He is still with us thanks his doctors.  I believe I can make a difference too.

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Why am I participating in the 24 hour Dance-A-Thon?

I love dancing the Lindy Hop and got involve with a fantastic performance class at CCSF.  Two years ago Nikki Marvin and Mikey Pedroza visited my Lindy Hop performance class to teach us a dance routine called the Black Bottom.    Nikki and Mikey were from Atomic Ballroom in Irvine and they performed the routine at the 24 hour Dance-A-Thon.   They encourage us to join the Dance-A-Thon to benefit Cancer Research and have a great time dancing.    So, last year Christine Nguyen organized our performance team, the Hot Bloods, to make a trip down to Irvine and participate at the 2009 Dance-A-Thon.   I was excited about going to the event but because of a schedule conflict missed the event.    So, I promised myself that I would make it a priority for 2010. 
        Video of Hot Bloods performing the Black Bottom

The second reason I’m attending is to benefit Cancer Research because of all the people I know who have been effected by cancer.   I still remember the days when cancer was almost always terminal.   Because of charity events like the Dance-A-Thon which help fund cancer research and treatment, today many people have the hope of defeating cancer and living a full and healthy life.

I’m dedicating my efforts to my Brother-in-Law  Tommy Lee.   He had Liver Cancer as a result of Hepatitis which is common with Asians.   The 5 year survial rate for Liver Cancer is still less than 10%.   He passed away from Liver Cancer in 2003 after a long courageous fight.   He never gave up the hope of defeating cancer, even after his doctors had given up.   It’s my hope that with more research, Liver Cancer will one day be a battle easily won.

I need your help to reach me goal of $1000, so please sponsor me for $25 or more, but any amount will help.     If you love to Lindy Hop consider joining Team San Francisco.

Thanks for your support!

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I’ve been doing fundraising events for about 10 years now. The first was the AIDS Walk in 2001 and that’s been the one event that I participate in every year. My friends all know this, as every year I send out emails asking for donations.

Then last year, I found out about the 24 hour cancer dance-a-thon. Wow! Yeah, I like walking, but I love lindy hop. Two years ago, I started going out dancing. Everywhere. And every night. So, you can imagine how I excited I was to find out about the 24 hr dance-a-thon.

the floor at last year's dance-a-thon

And this year, I’m doing it all over again. And this year, I am dedicating it to three friends. Rick, who past away from leukemia several years ago. I don’t have any pictures of him, but lots of memories. Also, his wife, Irene, who survived breast cancer.

on the left is the lovely and talented, Tu (she did the make-up for my friend's wedding)

I can’t forget my friend, Tu, who a couple of years ago went through chemo. She told me that if the cancer came back, she would not go through with the treatment again because it was that unbearable. Hopefully, she’ll change her mind the longer she stays cancer-free.

What more can I say. This dance-a-thon gives me the opportunity to raise money doing something I love.

I’ve never had so much fun raising money.

If you think this is a good cause (and it is!), please sponsor me here.

Or, better yet, join the San Francisco team. You don’t have to dance 24 hours straight (unless you want to, of course).

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I discovered my passion for swing dancing slowly.  With my children more independent in middle and high school and a little more time to myself, I was looking for a fun exercise to reduce stress after work and to stay fit.  I enrolled in City College of San Francisco’s (CCSF) beginner swing dance class in the evening and persuaded my husband to do the same.  That was about 6-years ago!  I can honestly say that swing dancing have postively changed my life.  Besides having fun and learning new dance skills, along the way I made new friends, met inspirational and awesome people, discovered love for various music, and discovered a whole new community. 

Swing dancing has enriched my life.  So glad that I at least found it mid-life!   As a small gesture to contribute back to the community, this year I have joined the San Francisco team to compete at the 24-Hour Cancer Dance-a-Thon to raise funds for cancer research and treatment.    I’m also dedicating my dances in remembrance of loved ones lost to cancer (my father, grandfather and brother-in-law, Tommy Lee) and to cancer survivor - Leland, my brother-in-law. 

Swing dancing is a lot of fun (see my highlights below).  If you like to dance, come join the San Francisco team.  If you don’t have the time or dancing feet, you can still help by donating to this worthy cause.  Sponsor me and help me reach my fundraising goal! All contributions will go toward the City of Hope Hospital and is tax deductible. 
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Memories and Highlights of my journey below.

My Father, Wing Cheung (Oct. 9 1928 – Nov. 11, 1987).   Proud Grandfather with 1st grandson, Gary

My favorite dance venues in San Francisco:

• Lindy in the Park (LITP) – free swing dancing & lesson on Sundays at Golden Gate Park
• Verdi Club with Stompy Jones – Tuesday night
• CCSF Swing Performance Class and Cat’s Corner – Wednesday nights
• 9:20 Special – Thursday nights at the Russian Center
• Friday Night Swing – Friday nights at Cheryl Burke Dance

Two awesome dance instructors who helped develop  my passion for lindy hop:  David Blood from CCSF and Carla Heiney, Choreographer & Lindy Hop Champion of many awards

Inspirational dancers I met on the dance floor: 

Left Photo: Cheryl Burke from Dancing with the Stars 
Right photo: Frankie Manning (at 93) - Ambassador of Lindy Hop & person who invented aerial steps for lindy hop, me, &  Layton Duong – Feb. 2007

Memorable dance events:

  Big John Special performance at Rhythm Louge

                         CCSF Hot Bloods perform at Galileo Academy’s 2007 Fundraiser

 CCSF Hot Bloods 2008 Performance Team

                                    Dance Performance at Jack London Square

 Halloween 2009 Dance

         Dancing on Voyager of the Sea cruise ship – Nov. 2009

HOPE YOU ENJOYED these highlights and hope to see you on the dance floor to discover the joy of swing dancing!

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I found lindy hop about two years ago. Now I can’t imagine my life without it.

Every day I am amazed by all that lindy hop has given me — friends, heroes, a welcome escape, a means of expression, a sense of community, discipline, fulfillment, accomplishment, even a new outlook on life. But alas, despite all the happiness in the world I am still a neurotic at heart, and as my weekly dance count crept up to 5, 6, 7 nights a week, and the smile on my face grew bigger, I couldn’t help but feel a bit GUILTY deep inside.

Who was I to have all this fun? Wasn’t this dancing thing frivolous and… selfish? Dancing had done me a lot of good, but how was I helping anyone else?

Then I found the 24 Hour Dance-a-thon. Like a marathon, but dancing. Friends and family sponsor participants who pledge to dance with their team for 24 hours. The proceeds go to City of Hope hospital, a leader in cancer research and treatment.

I had to go. I scrambled to get a team together. We called ourselves the Hot Bloods in honor of the man, David Blood, who had taught most of us to dance. I’m certain we were the first team from San Francisco to attend this Southern California-based event. We were proud. We danced (a lot), slept (an hour), ate (although none of us remember that part), and made merry. I saw hundreds of people who were as happy as me, hundreds of people who loved dance so much that they were going to trap themselves in a gym, dammit, and dance for 24 hours.

At the end of the day, I saw all that joy and happiness translated into a tangible gift to our fellow humans: $127,000 to City of Hope.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am not athletic. I will probably never run a marathon. I think it’s a little late for me to become a doctor. But I can dance. And on March 13th, I am going to dance my little @#% off for a fantastic cause.

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