We had the good fortune of connecting with Shan Y. Chuang and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Shan, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
When I came to New York, I didn’t know the concept of work-life balance. Coming from a traditional Asian household, I always heard my mom’s voice in the back of my head that I needed to work hard, use every second of the day, and do things fast. When I just moved to the U.S, everything was new to me. At that time, I didn’t know how long I could stay so I had to make everything out of it. I said yes to every work opportunity, rushed from one audition to another, and was always in the “go go go” mood until I dislocated my ankle.
I was devastated because I needed my body up and running to get performance credits for my visa application. Instead, I was in my bed sobbing every night. When I learned how to walk again, I started to rethink how to change my lifestyle as a dancer and performer. My body is my career, so I slowed down my pace and divided my time between teaching jobs and rehearsals.
After my visa approval, I was more relieved and able to implement to slow things down. I gave myself a day to recharge and also said no if my schedule was too packed. This mindset shift allowed me to focus on one thing at a time.
I was doing quite well with work-life balance until the pandemic hit. All of a sudden I was stuck in my apartment not knowing what to do with all this excess time. Now it felt like my daily life was filled with infinite recharge days. Once again, I shifted my mindset, trying out different routines to fill out my free time, and slowly started to create more personal work through dance.
I think work-life balance frequently needs small adjustments. It was definitely the thing I struggled with a lot in the past. However, now I know at what pace I can breathe comfortably or sense when to slow down a bit. I always listen to my body and allow myself some time to find the right balance. Creativity never sleeps but creation definitely needs lots of “me” time to make things work.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
There is one specific piece I’m especially proud of which casts over the provided question above. It’s a dance project called “10 Years In The Making, 10 Years Of Me” that I created and performed last year. It was about my reflection on the past 10 years I’ve spent in New York City, as I often wondered what life would’ve been if I chose to stay in Taipei 10 years ago.
It wasn’t easy to get where I am. I had a lot of fear because of the language barrier and the industry vibe that wasn’t much accepting of Asian immigrants back then. It took me a while to find who I am and what I want. However, dancing gave me the freedom to express myself fully, and eventually, I was able to find my true voice through dance movements and build my confidence, uniqueness.
My work explores the world of LGBTQIA+, social justice, and self-discovery through dance movements. Also, I focus on creating physical narratives for the audience to follow the storyline.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Besides all the usual museums and theater shows, I love New York City’s night sky view. I’d take my friends to the Dumbo area, take pictures at the sightseeing spot, eat at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, have some food and cocktails at Time Out Market during the evening to see the wowing view, and walk on the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. Some other days, we could grab lunch and sit at Washington Square Park to enjoy some jazz music, walk south on Broadway through Soho to roam around the small boutique shops, eat dim sum at Nom Wah Tea Parlor, and then go to the rooftop bar, The Crown, to sip some cocktails to enjoy the night view. I also highly recommend NYC in June to join the pride parade and celebrate all things queerness!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m going to thank my family and friends for their support all the way. A particular shoutout to Katie for this connection. Katie is the founder of a dance company, Katharine Pettit Creative, where I serve as a principal dancer since 2015. Her company helped me through my visa and made me feel I have a platform to speak up my voice. Also, my partner, Alex who always encourages and supports me!
Website: https://www.shanychuang.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanychuang/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Shan-Y-Chuang/1829781460/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/shanchannelny
Image Credits
Michael Yu, Yu-Shan Chuang, Erik McGregor, Samantha Bajonero, Michael Bonasio