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Cát Thy Lâm (林)

@choreosbycatthy

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@uci.rp ‘24 🪷
Pre-med by day, dancer by night ₍₍ ◝(・ω・)◟ ⁾⁾

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Welcome to my dance account!

My name is Crystal, and I’m a 20 y/o Vietnamese American dancer born and raised in San Jose, CA <3! For those who don’t know me (well), I’ve been performing my own choreographies at small gigs and events since April and decided (impulsively) to open up a dance account where I can post/record all of my past work for everyone and myself to look back on (like a diary :D)!

For background context, I’ve been dancing the traditional Vietnamese style since I was 14 and haven’t looked back since. Even with my busy college pre-med schedule, dance has been the constant denominator in my life that I haven’t given up, and I’ve learned many valuable life lessons and skills because of it. Although many of you know (of) me through pre-med classes/orgs, I’m just as passionate about dance as I am about medicine, and I hope that this account inspires anyone that your hobbies and career goals can fit in your life.

As a dancer/choreographer, my goals are to experiment with different music/concepts/moves, showcase traditional Vietnamese dance as a versatile and beautiful movement form, and of course, express myself in a fun and meaningful way! The genre is so much more than fluttering fans, waving a nón lá around, etc. Confining the style to those aesthetic boundaries does no justice to its beauty in blending other dance styles, storytelling, and culture. Although my choreography is in no way super authentic, it’s authentic to me and my experiences as a Vietnamese American dancer :’).

Finally, thank you to my friends, family, peers, and mentors who’ve been my biggest fans since day 1, and for continuing to support my solo work as I grow and improve! Stay tuned for any future performances and I hope you enjoy what I have to bring in store 😼

P.S - I’ll reupload my solo performances in April soon, so that everyone can watch it :) by @choreosbycatthy

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3 years ago

Rose Pageant 2024 🌹🪷

I’m so honored to have had the privilege to share my inner beauty and nuances as a Vietnamese woman, serve the communities I cherish through philanthropy, and challenge myself as a dancer all in one place. My personal growth wouldn’t have been possible without the love and support from the most brightest, beautiful, and empowering women I’ve ever met: my rose sisters, pageant moms, choreographers, and directors. Through my Rose Pageant experience, I’ve left that unforgettable night with sisterhood, mentorship, and self-confidence that I’ll carry into my future. I hope that my story illustrates that anything can be apart of your cultural narrative, and thank you to my loved ones for always appreciating me for my true self ♾️.

📸: @kathxrinengo @irenevuongg @framedbilly @dabdul.gg by @choreosbycatthy

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3 years ago

Is it just me or did it just get 3 degrees hotter in here 🎨🧠🩺

📸: @aronnechan24 taken in UC Riverside by @choreosbycatthy

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a year ago

Chopsticks Alley Art’s CreativiTEA Open Mic - “Dancing Through the Seasons” - September 11th, 2024

Your favorite pre-med dancer is back!
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of performing once again at Chopstick Alley’s open mic event after finishing pageant season. From my first performance to now, I still can’t imagine being in a position to have grown so much as a person and be involved in the Asian community in various ways!
This piece is a a fun spring/summer concept that represents how Vietnamese traditional music/dance has evolved over time like seasons. From the nostalgic Paris By Night (Thúy Nga) to catchy V-Pop, I wanted to pay homage to iconic Vietnamese artists that paved the way for artists like myself to illustrate our self-expression through our cultural roots. Additionally, the áo yếm, another traditional Vietnamese garment, is another token of homage that I wore to showcase one of many traditional Vietnamese fashion pieces outside of the iconic áo dài. Our culture has much more history, depth, and nuance than what’s portrayed in media, and as a Chinese-Vietnamese American, I have the privilege to preserve and redefine my roots in ways that will always be authentic to me.
Special thanks to @chopsticksalleyart for this performance opportunity, my friend @nhuu.nn for the video, and one of my pageant mentors @carolyn.noowin for inspiring the concept of this routine!

Songs: “Xuân Mộng” by Như Loan & Thanh Trúc and “Theo Em Về Nhà” by Ngọc Mai
English Translations: “Spring Dream” and “Follow Me Home” by @choreosbycatthy

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2 years ago

Colors of my motherlands ❤️💛 by @choreosbycatthy

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2 years ago

UCR Vietnamese Culture Night- “Under the Night Sky” - May 20th, 2022

It’s Throwback (not Thursday) Saturday! School and life has been a wild ride recently, but in honor of AAPI month, I want to share my first official choreographed dance performance for none other than @ucrvcn!

Although it’s far from perfect, my dreams of preparing a traditional Vietnamese dance piece to share with my peers was fulfilled, and seeing my team grow and improve with me made it more meaningful (you know who you are ;) ). I wanted this dance to highlight the fun chemistry of partner/couples dance and make it engaging for us and the audience! Without this opportunity, I wouldn’t be the dancer that I am today :’).

Thank you to everyone who supported me in bringing this piece to life in my first year of college, and a special special shoutout to the 2022 UCR VCN Couples Trad team for being the best dancers I could ever ask for. I’m so grateful to see and hear all about your growth that these past few years and for your uplifting spirits <3!

Keep an eye out for more AAPI Easter eggs I might drop! Once I have more free time, I’ll probably be able to share more new pieces over the summer :’).

Song: “Ooh Just You“ by Lê Thiện Hiếu and “Thích Em Hơi Nhiều” by Wren Evans
English Translation: “I Like You So Much” (2nd Song) by @choreosbycatthy

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2 years ago

Chopsticks Alley Art’s CreativiTEA Open Mic - “As I Grew” - September 13th, 2023

Story: Couldn’t have asked for a greater ending to my summer before my 3rd year of college by performing for the Southeast Asian community back home in San Jose! In all honesty, I’d never felt more pressure to perform my best since choreographing for my college’s first Vietnamese cultural production post pandemic (and my first official “debut” and on the collegiate level). However, the welcoming energy from the staff and audience was indescribable and the positive feedback was very much appreciated! As a dancer, my art is shared as a learning experience for the audience, but this time, I learned more from the open mic event through fellow performing artists and audience members :D. Never had I ever felt encouraged to talk about (and be interviewed) by event hosts and audience members about my dance experiences and cultural background and be seen as more than the art I produce. To respect Chopsticks Alleys’ mission, my piece represents the progression of my Vietnamese traditional dance journey from the different props and the stylistic changes to reflect the song’s theme of “growing up”.

HUGE thanks to @chopsticksalleyart for your kindness, passion, and service in uplifting Asian artists, increasing representation of Southeast Asian arts, and making the pursuit of art related fields more accessible! Thank you to all the fellow artists/community members for reaching out to me after the event to chat about art/culture and compliment my performance! Lastly, thank you to my #1 fan, makeup artist, photographer, videographer, and best friend in one @nhuu.nn for referring me to this special programming from your fellowship with Chopsticks Alley. Although I mainly work independently, she’s always been a great contributor in supporting my dance work, and my right hand man. Thank you for being here with me since that first impulsive jump in becoming a choreographer and believing in my potential even when no one else did.

Song: “Khi Em Lớn“ by Orange x Hoàng Dũng
English Translation: “When I Grow” by @choreosbycatthy

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3 years ago

UCR Fight For Autism (FFA)’s Autism Awareness Month Banquet 2023 - “Won’t Sit Still” - April 8th, 2023

Story: Shortly after booking my RFC banquet performance, I came across the change to perform for Fight For Autism at UCR’s banquet. Although I was interested, I wasn’t too sure if I was ready to do another solo performance, but with encouragement from a great mentor, I signed up. On the surface, this dance seems simple, but in reality, I was very intentional with every aspect of this performance (props, song, etc) which connects neurodiversity and the art of traditional Vietnamese dance. Highly encourage anyone reading to look up the English lyrics to the song (and educate yourself on neurodiversity) to understand its meaning and why this particular performance holds special meaning to me. Unfortunately, that’d be a story I’ll share when the time is right ;).

Special thanks again to @ucr.ffa for giving me the space to represent the community you serve and for the amazing feedback/support from the audience/friends for my performance! It was an honor to perform for their first ever (and AWARD WINNING) banquet and a great event to have witnessed. An extra special shout-out to my research mentor and UCR FFA’s former president @thxniya for giving me this special opportunity to give back to the autistic community by doing what I do best and beyond :’). Your dedication in upholding neurodiversity inclusion in your work inspires me to do the same and thank you for believing in me <3

Song: “Đâu Chịu Ngồi Yên“ by Phương Ly X Rhymastic X Touliver
English translation: “Don’t Sit Still” by @choreosbycatthy

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3 years ago

Riverside Free Clinic Annual Banquet 2023 - “The Dance of Many Firsts” - April 1st, 2023

Story: What started as an April Fool’s joke turned into reality when I was given the chance to perform for my free clinic’s annual banquet :P. At first, I didn’t really think too much of the performance even days leading up to the banquet since it was my first time showcasing my own choreography by myself and didn’t know what to expect of the experience. Although I wasn’t too nervous about performing, what surprised me the most at the time was the amount of anticipation and excitement from my fellow volunteers, peers, and even administrative staff before and after my banquet performance. The love and support I received made my already amazing first clinic banquet experience even better and had a lot more fun performing solo than I expected!

A special thank you (again) to @ucrrfc for allowing me the chance to perform my first solo dance piece and share what traditional Vietnamese dancing meant to me. My pre-med and dance worlds collided that night, and I'm truly grateful to support my free clinic as an volunteer/officer and dancer ❤️‍🩹🩺

Fun fact: This was also my first time dancing in HEELS and did some improv at the end (can you find exactly where hehe)

Song: “Người Ơi Người Ở Đừng Về (feat. Suboi)” by Đức Phúc
English translation: “People, People, Don’t Go Home Please” by @choreosbycatthy

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3 years ago