big dragon to little dragon
green stories & associated beginnings
2025 is the year of the wood snake! I was told by 爷爷 during LNYE dinner that I can refer to the snake as 小龙, little dragon. I’ve been wondering how dragon passes the upcoming year to little dragon.
Is it a baton? Like a relay - but swap it with an incense stick and the race is to the temple. Is there a coronation ceremony that includes a procession led by Medusa for apotropaic (protective) purposes? Does one come to the other as a wooden staff, and they both drop to the ground to see who can switch states first before eating the other?1 Could it a simple HIGH FIVE! Or maybe not that simple because they have tails... so it’d be a high/low… ONE〰️belly. How about a ribboning dance around each other like a DNA helix? Or maybe they put on robes and flick them as they shout: “MALFOY!”2 (as demonstrated by one of the students I’m working with after giving her the prompt: make a gesture associated with the colour green)
I do declare 2025 the year for playful imaginations, mysticism, and continued inquiries on (hi)stories.
As I shared in my last letter, my crossover into the new solar new year happened under the bridge, trudging through a swamp of FLU-StrIckEN. Once recovered, January’s happenings came flooding in.
My daily travels crossed town on Line 2 (the horizontal green one), commuting from east to west, then back to east, to the place I’m bird/plant sitting in. Time was portioned between a residency, rehearsals for an upcoming showing, a new commission with 15 students, highlighted scripts, and comment boxes of many collaborative google docs.
Hellooooo grant writing season.
My friend Juolin Lee visited Tkaronto for 2 weeks and she stayed with me on the east-end alongside Sky and Mango, the blue and green budgies I’m currently caring for. The genesis of our friendship began in September of 2024 through our mutual friend Kelsi James. In search of inspiration and refreshment, the 3 of us met up in Vancouver for jiggly pancakes whilst I was in town for a project. Seeds planted in this cross-pollinating brunch sprouted into this exchange.
Juolin and I had plenty to dialogue about. Maybe it was something in the similarities of our mandarin-english brains. Our shared training in western contemporary dance probably had a large influence. Mischievous looks that arose when passing by pastry shops helped with friendship building… and the sheer revolt felt in our bodies as we imagined arriving empty handed to dinners confirmed the sense of kin. *Pat pat pat* — We have to stop talking and go to bed! Dishwasher to chef, change, writer to editor, pause… choreography was happening here, and there, and, there. The harmonized cadence in our transitions and swiftness in our swapping of roles was woven by a net of trust. A depth of roots already embedded through our beloved people of association.
Our iCloud shared album and Google Drive folder was titled “The JL² Exchange.” What made this encounter “extra juicy,” a Juolin-special phrase, was the support of our community in welcoming her to Tkaronto. Dreamwalker Dance Company co-produced our residency, Kenny, Gill, and Gord supported our housing, and much of the Toronto dance community welcomed Juolin into their spaces and happenings: big thank you’s to Kelsi, Oriah, Steph, Brigita, members of Wild Soma, Andrea, Andy, Sid, Michelle, Danielle, Maxine and TDT!
Our one week residency at Toronto Dance Theatre was split into 2 portions:
Juolin worked on her solo, “Soup of Forgetfulness.” Inspired by the Taiwanese myth Mong-Po-Tang, a tale about the afterlife and process of reincarnation, her solo explores her curiosities about “the space between remembering and forgetting, and the space between the living and the deceased.”
Together, we tinkered with structures for improvisational tasks. “Naming,” YouTube timers, music playlists, and notebooks were brought in as tools. “Specificity” was a desire that appeared, though we haven’t unearthed what we’re trying to be specific about... discovery, translation and articulation are all practices in themselves. Digging snake holes in the sandpit without tightly bound agendas still offers generative gifts. Though similar in many ways, we discovered differences in the way we entered our improvisation tasks; things we wouldn’t have inquired about or noticed on our own.
I’m drawn to the shapes and pathways your limbs carve in space. What’s a verb to describe this action? Name it proceeding the round. Find the name whilst IN the sensation? Huh - yes, it’s like contact but also it’s not. We anchor with different points.
Someone once explained to me the difference between “accuracy” and “precision” in the framework of physics, but I’ve forgotten exactly what that is. What I do remember is the image of a target. Something about landing many around the bullseye, or many in the same spot but away from the bullseye. I want to be able to land the arrow wherever I want it to land but lately I’ve been thinking that by the time I get to accuracy AND precision, either the target will be moving... and/or my tools (such as my focus) will have changed. We repeat the things that we can.
(1 minute timer. 15 second transition. 6x. Go.)³
The name for these “Structures” appeared during our last dinner together, the night before our community workshop + studio showing. Juolin shared a story: “We used to play a car game in Taiwan! Someone says a phrase, and the next person uses the last word as the first word for the next phrase. It’s called ‘接龍’ ” : pronounced jiēlóng, translated as, “connect the dragon.” It’s giving solitaire, in word form.
These are not the exact words Juolin’s shared, but rather how I conjured them in my recreated memory. Insert the energy of someone lighting up when recalling something that sparked excitement — still sparks excitement. widening eyes, more gestures with the hands, higher cadence in the voice
Our sharing was attended by invited guests. We facilitated by way of “triangling,” our third being the incredible Michelle Silagy. This model was shared to us by my mentor Andrea Nann, through the Conscious Body’s Ensemble, a collective Andrea and Michelle are both part of. Michelle assisted us in preparations, tended to the needs of space, people, transitions, and graciously sat with us in reflection after the parting of our guests. She shared encouraging remarks on our pacing and where she felt we “generated good beginnings.”
“the most beautiful thing about the starting point is that not everything is known.”
Michelle illuminated parts that were unplanned, but really worked, such as “imposing a task before layering in style,” and “intentional energy shifts,” from the viewpoint of somatic body-work. She pointed out the places available for us to make decisions for our next go-around, should we choose to.
“I feel that no matter who we are or who we’re with, demonstration will always be greatest teacher”
I’m find myself suspicious with absolute words like “always.” Though, in the way Michelle spoke and listened, I felt such ease and assurance in her steadied presence. The quotations above were Michelle’s exact words. With permission, I voice recorded our closing reflections. There’s such sweetness in the fruit of her life’s work: dedication to arts education, seasoned in the process of creation, accessibility and yes, embodiment. I love how I’ve gleaned from her knowledge even after the moment has passed, though I don’t bind her to these words forever. This little dragon is grateful for the presence and words imparted by the dragons around her. She is also glad for other little dragon friends in the wilderness. Friends to rub bellies on the ground, shed, and grow into new skins with.
I don’t actually know if the dragon of 2024 was big. Maybe it was medium sized, and not even green. I do think it had fire breathing capabilities though. And maybe the snake of 2025 is a massive yellow python with brown spots and different coloured iris’. And hot honey for venom. These two characters would make for an interesting exchange too. I’m fascinated by stories and those who tell them. Even the ones familiar to us can invite new questions. Stories of beginnings hold much information, and even then, they evolve into reference points when we find more ancient beginnings. Sometimes changeovers happen in an obvious practiced ritual. Sometimes, it’s already happened. Mystery is held in the timing of when things are noticed. My phone case, e-reader cover, most worn cargo pants, and wool scarf are strikingly similar in colour. It seems as though I’ve evolved from my blue era into sage green. We could name this, evolution.3
Community Offerings for February
TORONTO!
Performing in a work-in-progress showing at the gorgeous Franco Boni Theatre. “TRACTOR,” a new ensemble work by Maxine Heppner! Feb 2, 3pm - RSVP HERE :) Admission is free! Donations are welcomed.BURLINGTON!
”The Everyday Dance” Workshop at Laureate College: a community movement workshop, no previous dance experience required! Feb 12 at More details here :)AURORA!
stay tuned.
Moments I’ve been “minding”
“On deep truth, deep time, and the world ahead”
Tender and gritty discussions. A window, a painting, a mirror. 3 different POVs.
Sent to me by Miah Lewis, dancer AND stage manager. Another beautifully budding friendship. 🥲 Pádraig is currently one of my favourite poets.kitchen amaryllis in bloom!!!
Jan 21, Jan 26, Jan 29 One of many magical music moments on the transit lately. I did sing along on the other side of the platform.
“Take care. Eat well. Rest well. Be well.”
An email sign-off I received recently, and loved.If you celebrate, Happy Lunar New Year, and Happy New Moon. 🧧❤️🏮🐉🐍
Prince of Egypt anyone?!
A Harry Potter reference for those who are not familiar with western pop culture. Draco Malfoy is part of the Slytherin House.
A nod to Sarah Bessey and her “Field Notes”
❤️❤️❤️
Judy is a sensitive, articulate, passionate, and powerful dancer/performer. She carries these qualities into her writing as she reflects on her travels, adventures, observations, and feelings. We get an up-close look at the challenges and excitement, the grit and crackle, of a dancer’s life.