Nancy Xiong was a speakers at the 2020 “Dancing while Hmong” event, a unique collaboration between Hmong Museum and MN Dance & the Ecstasies of Influences to share stories by dance practitioners and organizers from immigrant and refugee communities in Minnesota.
Why did you decide to participate in “Dancing while Hmong”?
“One main reason why I decided to participate in this presentation is because I want to make a difference and challenge the norm as a Hmong American woman. I want to be a standing example of balancing in between the roles that are placed upon us as we experience life. The role of being a Hmong daughter, to a Hmong wife and a mother. I want to share my story hoping to enlighten and inspire others to pursue their dreams meticulously and to trust their gut. Oftentimes when I run into meeting inspiring Hmong women who have so much potential to do more, I notice that many of them struggle with the balance of achieving their goals and while balancing the expectations that are placed upon them by their culture and family. I want to connect to more Hmong women who are interested in growing themselves in this art form. I strongly believe this presentation will allow me a chance to connect and let my voice be heard.“
What do you hope people learn or walk away from this event?
“I want to share my story, hoping to inspire younger generations to be different and shift their perspectives on the new norm. I hope people can walk away from this event with a much more open mindset and be moved. Moved to be different and accept their differences.”
What inspires you?
“My inspirations would be my childhood dreams of being able to do everything and be anything. I’ve always wanted to be a woman of all traits growing up, but never had the support, role model and resources to do so. In addition, I was restricted to opportunities as a Hmong girl. I was frustrated and sad because I didn’t understand why I was limited to growth. When I finally had the chance to snatch these opportunities, I was inspired to keep going because 1) I can, 2) I understood what I was doing was not bad, and 3) I allowed myself time to invest in myself. Going into my young adulthood, I slowly accumulated a strong support group that I surrounded myself with who supported and encouraged me to be myself. If I name them all the list would be endless, but anyone who I interacted with or have a connection with, I usually find something inspiring about them that makes me motivated.”
More About Nancy Xiong
Nancy Xiong is a Hmong American woman who was born and raised on the Northside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She first started her dance journey immersing into Traditional Hmong dancing and dabbled into K-pop covers. Stepping away from traditional Hmong dancing and K-pop she found herself falling in love with the culture and style of Hip Hop and Open Style. She started training more heavily into styles such as: Urban dance which is now called Open Style, Hip Hop, House and other various styles throughout her college years and has performed, competed and choreographed for many teams and events.
As of today, Nancy is a Co-Founder and Co-Director for Elite Family Dance team. She has led them to compete at the World of Dance Chicago, Masterpiece, Prelude Midwest and various competitions in the Twin Cities! Some of Elite Family highlights are winning: Best Theme at World of Dance Chicago 2018, Third place at Masterpiece 2019 and First, Third, Fourth and Crowd Favorite for Hot Indian Dance Off 2019. She is one of the co-captain for GentleBaes, a sisterhood founded in 2018 and a member of an all women’s collective group called S.H.E [She who Holds Everything]. On top of running and participating in dance teams, she is a Hip Hop instructor at House of Dance – Twin Cities and a proud mother to her girl Alicestasia. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her little family and trying out local food places.