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Episode 41: Dan Tran (@dans.first.dances) is a professional ballroom dancer and dance instructor. Growing up, Dan never identified himself as a confident individual until he stumbled upon a dance class in college. Discovering dance meant he was able to find his own voice and an outlet of expression. Dan's interest in dance eventually led him to a competitive career, and ultimately won him two National Titles. Aside from being a performer, Dan holds multiple top teacher & studio awards as an instructor. In this episode, Dan shares how dancing became a way of expression for him, his struggle to find support from family for his dance career, and how he is coping with the pandemic. Show Notes: 00:50 - How would you normally describe yourself, and how did you get into dance?04:40 - Dan's parents and his dancing background growing up in San Jose6:55 - Speaking about his post on Asian Creative Network and his desire to dance in order to reinvent himself10:27 - Getting bullied out of auditioning for a part, but using the fresh start in San Jose State to learn Latin Dance14:50 - How dance became a medium to measure how much he has grown over the years17:30 - Parental pressure to pursue a traditional vocation or a traditional major in college, despite all of his success in dancing21:16 - Learning Salsa Dance in college, giving Ballroom Dance a shot, and losing in the competition25:25 - Practicing partner dance doesn't always require a partner, which allows independent practice!31:41 - Choosing between Breakdancing and Ballroom, coincidences, and being inspired by So You Think You Can Dance33:50 - Not seeing himself as a minority until leaving the Bay Area and traveling to different places in the US35:30 - Not a lot of successful Asian American representation, although there are many Asian American dancers38:25 - Feeling inspired after seeing a legendary performance from Victor Fung at a Stanford dancing event41:56 - Learning more about DanceSport events, the different divisions, and the difficulties of each event47:55 - Explaining the benefits of dance and how it appeals to such a broad audience53:45 - The experience of putting out a Cosplay Ball where his students and attendees dance and get out of their comfort zone58:20 - How Dan is teaching now despite COVID restrictions1:01:50 - Don't wait for opportunities to come to you. Create the opportunities you want1:03:40 - How to keep in contact with Dan!Join the community! Follow us on Instagram @wyndpodcast and find all of our socials at whyyounodoctor.com/podcast.Support the show (http://whyyounodoctor.com/podcast)