Dao Lan Dance Studio

While the rest of our school was busy at practices for upcoming competitions, these two teams (Radiance & Moonlight) had an even busier weekend in different states competing at the Eau Claire Hmong New Year and the Oklahoma Hmong New Year. Even though we aren’t there in person, we are always cheering (loud and proud 📣) from home. We are so proud of our dancers and so lucky to have such amazing and talented individuals representing DLDS ❤️

Congrats to our MOONLIGHT for placing second at the Oklahoma Hmong New Year!

📍Lacrosse, WI ||

Oh how fast a year flys by… and here we are again at the dawn of another Hmong New Year season. This past weekend we had 10 teams (Clementine, Eternal Embers, Royal Ivy, Venus, Solaris, Radiance, Lotus, Golden Eclipse, Serene Suns, and Moonlight)) travel to the Lacrosse Hmong New Year to compete in the dance competition. To say it was a success is an understatement. Our teams poured their hearts onto the stage. For many it was their first competition of the year, and for some, their first competition ever! We also made DLDS history when two of our teams (Venus & Serene Suns) achieved a back to back 1st place win in both the JV and Varsity Categories for 2 consecutive years (CHAMPS in both 2023 and 2024). We are so proud of all our dancers and their families! 🤍

JV:
5th place & Best Costume Award- Eternal Embers
3rd place- Royal Ivy
1st Place- Venus

Varsity:
Best Sportsmanship Award- Golden Eclipse
Best Costume Award- Radiance
4th place- Moonlight
1st Place- Serene Suns

📸: ML parent

Happy Tuesday! Are you ready to meet another one of our star dancers? She’s none other than Yazmeen from team clementine 🍊🌸💖

“Yazmeen is 8 years old and this is her second year dancing with Clementine. She is shy at first, but once she gets to know you, she is very sociable. She loves to fish, swim and dance. What she loves most about dance is building a bond with her dance sisters and challenging herself to memorize choreography. She excited and can't wait to compete on stage with her team.”

Here is what coach Emily has to say, “Yazmeen is such a joy of light at practices. She is always working hard at getting down choreography and corrections. She is not afraid to ask questions, correct her movements, and she’s helpful to those around her. Yazmeen is always smiling in and out of practices and so funny to talk to, but when she dances, she’s focused on what’s going on around her. I can’t wait for her to show everyone what she can do on stage!”

cheers to the weekend! 💝

This week’s dancer of the week comes from our baby team, Oasis! And she has a very special history with DLDS. Her mom danced with Oasis Coach Lai from 2008-2011 on DLDS’ very first team, Nkauj Ntxuam Dej!

Everyone meet Luna!! She loves doing the mats and stretch exercises along with learning new dance moves at each practice. Other hobbies she enjoys doing are playing Roblox with her siblings, coloring & drawing.

Coach Lai says, “Luna’s determination to be her best at such a young age is very impressive and inspirational. She pushes herself to try new things, and is always attentive when learning new choreography. I love watching her improve at every practice and especially love being a part of her dance journey” ⭐️

Let’s meet our dancer of the week! Everyone say hello to DLDS’ one and only Bailey Chang! 🤍

Bailey has been dancing for 11 years now. She joined DLDS in 2016 and has been a long time member of Blazing Sapphire. She is also the student teacher for Royal Ivy. “Outside of the dance floor, you will catch me enjoying my favorite foods while binge-watching movies and TV series across various genres. I also love to travel with my loved ones, especially to destinations with a hot sun! On quieter days at home, I often get glammed up, which brings out another side of my creativity. However, my true passion lies in dance, and my favorite part is the thrill of performing on stage. Being alongside my closest friends, showcasing our hard work, makes me feel my best. It's an incredible feeling that nothing can compare to.”

Blazing’s Coach, Lai, says “there is no one quite like Bailey! She’s a natural born leader, a hard worker, and a teammate to all. She’s a star in all styles of dance and stands out as a performer. I can always count on her to be the positive light on our team. She is kind and empathetic, and also has a very competitive edge… but that’s why we call her Champ Bailey 😉.”

Enjoying our annual DLDS picnic on this beautiful day ☀️🩶

Good Morning! ☀️

Let’s meet Precious Vang, our second dancer of the week from team Radiance! “This is my first year in dlds and first year dancing. Other than dance I like to spend time with friends and family. My goal for this year is to improve specific techniques!”

Radiance’s Mentor, Kalista, says “she comes in with a positive and great attitude from start to finish. She works very hard in practice and outside. She is never afraid to try new skills and continue to grow as a dancer. I enjoy having Precious at every practice.”

Great job Precious, we are always proud of you and can’t wait to see you on stage this year! 🤍

This week’s first dancer of the week comes from team Venus!! “My name is Keegan Xiong, I’m in my 4th year of dancing. I enjoy playing golf and volleyball outside of dance. I am 10 years old, I love outdoor activities with my family. My favorite color is yellow, my favorite season is spring because I enjoy swimming. My favorite part of dance is performing and being on stage.”

Venus’ Mentor, Nal, says “I admire how Keegan takes leadership in the group, which sets an example of how behavior should be when at dance. She works hard to have her improvement noticed, and takes initiative with her teammates.” We can’t wait to see you grace the stage this year, Keegan!! 💖

Everyone meet Jaeda!! You might have seen her posted on here once before 😉

This year she is on team Royal Ivy, but has been a part of the DLDS dance family for two years, and her passion for dance only continues to grow! With a background in ballet and tap, Jaeda has found her niche in dance, and it's not just about the movement - it's about the connections she's made along the way. She cherishes the weekly opportunities to reunite with her friends, sharing laughter and inside jokes that make her experience even more special. When she's not dancing, Jaeda stays active and busy, enjoying volleyball, trampoline fun, and shopping. With her vibrant energy and enthusiasm, Jaeda is a shining star in the DLDS community!

Royal Ivy’s Mentor, Bailey, says “It has been an absolute privilege to mentor Jaeda! Each week, she arrives at the studio with a fierce determination to push herself beyond her previous limits. Her dedication to continue to improve has truly amazed me. Jaeda's progress has been nothing short of remarkable, with significant strides in both her dancing and technical skills. Her tireless work ethic extends far beyond the studio, and her teammates and I know that we can always count on her. Witnessing her growth has been a true joy, and my pride in her accomplishments only continues to swell. I am thrilled to see her shine on stage, and I have no doubt that her passion, talent, and dedication will take her to be an incredible dancer!🤩”

Hoping everyone’s summer is starting out great now that school is officially out! ☀️😎

This week’s Student of the Week goes to Cynthia from Lotus! 🪷 Cynthia has been dancing for 9 years with this year being her third year on Lotus. Her favorite things about dance are learning new moves and getting better at her techniques. She is so excited to see all the new dances this year from so many teams. In her free time, she likes to play soccer and volleyball.

Her coach, Sabrina, says, “Cynthia has grown so much just within the three years that I’ve had her as a student. She has improved greatly both in dance and in leadership, and it’s so great to see her truly come into herself as a person. Her humor and kindness is always present at every practice, and it never fails to make the team smile. When learning dance moves or drilling our routines, she never hesitates to ask questions and always lends a helping hand to her teammates if they need help. Her drive and passion fuels her dancing and I can tell that she genuinely enjoys what she does. I’m very excited for everyone to get to see her on stage this year! 🦋🦋”

✨Stay tuned for our next Student of the Week!✨

It’s time to meet our next dancer of the week!! Today the spotlight is on Alliyah from Golden Eclipse. “Hi my name is Alliyah Yang! I am 15 years old and during my free time I like to hang out with family and friends, I am most excited for competition and getting to see other groups showcase their dance!” 💖

Golden Eclipse’s Coach, Summer, says: “Alliyah has improved immensely through the year! She’s always asking questions to make sure she is correct in her arms, feet, and hands! She’s also such a dare devil and isn’t afraid to try new techniques! Keep up the work Alliyah, there’s always more room to grow!”

Stay tuned for next week’s highlighted students ✨

Are you ready to meet another amazing dancer of ours? Today we would like to highlight Amie from Serene Suns 💛☀️

Here is a little about Amie, “Hello, my name is Amie and I’m 15 years old. This is my 2nd year with serene suns and my 7th year dancing. In my free time I like to play volleyball and go swimming. I am really excited for this year because I love when we hit the stage and how me and my teammates get closer each time!!”

Here’s what Coach Emily has to say, “I adore having Amie on team Serene Suns, ever since she’s joined I’ve seen a new passion and drive from her. Every practice I am amazed by how much she pushes herself to become better and improve. Amie may be sweet and a little quiet but slowly and surely I’ve started to see her form her own identity as a dancer. She’s such a team player and so supportive of her teammates as well! I can’t wait to see what she does this year!”

Our second dancer of the week comes from team Moonlight! 🌙

This is Lashere! She has been dancing for 10 years, and has been with DLDS for 3. She looks forward to creating new bonds/memories with her team. Outside of dance, she plays volleyball and likes to do nails! 💗

From her coach, Kasia, “I’ve been working with Lashere for 3 years now and it’s been a joy to see her growth each year. Lashere has not only grown in her dance skills but as well as in her leadership skills. She is the kind of teammate that you can go to w/ questions about choreography, timing, or corrections, and she’ll be able to help you. Lashere is a hardworking, positive, and caring dancer- She is a wonderful asset to team Moonlight. I can’t wait to see what accomplishments Lashere will achieve this year and most importantly, I can’t wait for you all to see her grace the stage. ❤️‍🔥”

Stay tuned for next week’s highlighted students ✨

Happy Tuesday! We’re hoping everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather we’ve been having the past few days ☀️

As always, our first student of the week for this week goes to Mallory from StarFire ⭐️🔥 Mallory has been dancing for two years now, this year being her second year with StarFire and in DLDS. Her favorite thing about dance is seeing her teammates improve on their techniques and dancing, and meeting new friends! In her free time, she likes to draw and animate! 🦋

Her coach, Sabrina, says, “Mallory has shown a tremendous amount of improvement overall with her dancing, techniques, and flexibility since the beginning of the year. I love how she pushes herself, even when she’s unsure of the outcome and rarely has a defeated attitude if she doesn’t quite hit the mark. At every practice, she is very supportive of her teammates and helps them out wherever she can, showing a great sense of leadership within the team. Her practice videos always showcase her fullest range and the time she puts into getting the dance down. She really is such a star student and I’m very happy to get to work with her this year. I just know she can grow even more and really shine on stage! 🫶🏻💃🏻”

✨Stay tuned in for our next student of the week!✨

We would like to introduce our second dancer of the week 😎 This is Ruby! She is in her first year with Eternal Embers. Her mentor, Sunshine, says “at every practice, she walks in and leaves with great determination. Ruby is very hardworking and quick at picking up choreo and skills. Not only that, but she’s also very sweet, funny, and generous. She’s a joy to have on the team, and I can’t wait to see her accomplish more this year!”

Outside of dance, she loves to go biking, swimming, and on walks with her family. Her favorite thing about dance is being able to see her teammates and mentor every week! Ruby is most excited to dance on stage this year!

Stay tuned for next week’s highlighted students ✨

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Today we would like to highlight our next dancer, Nalee from team Clementine 🌸🍊💖

“Nalee has been in traditional Hmoob dance for 4 years, this is her first year at DLDS. She loves being a part of Clementine, and coming to practice every week. She is looking forward to seeing the whole dance come together with the beautiful clothes and makeup. Outside of dance she loves being outside, biking, skate boarding, and swimming.”

Here’s what coach Emily has to say, “Even though this is Nalee’s first year with the team and the studio, she has been working very hard ever since her first class! Nalee always comes to practice with the biggest smile and leaves with one too! I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes this year, as well as, see her continue to grow these next following years! I’m so glad I was able to take Nalee into team Clementine for 2024! 💖”

Happy last day of May!!

Today we are highlighting one of our newest dancers from team Oasis. This is Ariya!

Ariya loves school. She’s a very sociable person that makes friends easily wherever she goes. She enjoys drawing, singing and dancing and also likes hip hop dancing. Last year was her first year at the Hmong New Year, where she saw team Venus on stage and she loved it. She danced with them and when they were done she asked when it will be her turn on stage, and that is what made Ariya want to try Hmong dance this year. 💖

Oasis’ Coach, Lai, says: “Ariya has the brightest smile every time she walks into practice. She’s confident and a very quick learner. It is very apparent that she is always practicing when she’s not in the studio, as she comes back each week nailing all the moves and choreography she learned previously. She’s a great teammate and a hard worker. Just like she said, I can’t wait to see her take her turn on the stage this year!” 💫

Stay tuned for this week’s next highlighted students ✨

We hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Today our spotlight is on Siri from team Blazing Sapphire 💫 Siri started dancing when she was 6 years old, and has been dancing for 8 years now. She joined DLDS in 2019, and is in her first year with Blazing Sapphire. Her favorite thing about dance is that she gets to express herself and has fun while doing it. Her favorite color is orange, and she loves to read and collect books.

Blazing’s coach Lai says, “coming into the team Siri was already a talented dancer and excelled in many areas of dance, but to this day she still finds ways to continuously improve herself. She’s impressive with her control and attention to detail, which makes her stand out as a performer. She’s a great team player with a constant positive attitude. I can’t wait to finally see her on the competition stage with our team! 💖”

Stay tuned for this week’s next highlighted student ✨

Happy Fri- YAY! ❤️‍🔥

Our second dancer of the week is Madalie, and she comes from team Radiance! ✨💫
She says, “This is my first year dancing! I like to play volleyball, badminton, draw, and sing. Some fun facts, I’m a straight A student, I have 7 siblings, and some of my favorite music artists are WIMY, Wavetoearth, and Teo Glacier. My goal this year for dance is to gain more confidence and have fun since this will probably be my only year dancing !! 💗”

Radiance’s mentor, Kalista, says: “at every practice Madalie comes with a great and positive attitude. Every week she goes home and practices very hard, which shows when we come back the following week. She is very hard working and determined, learning and trying out skills every week!! I enjoy having her at practice and also cannot wait to see her grow this year!!”

Stay tuned for this next week’s highlighted students ✨

Good Morning!! ☀️

We are starting off this week’s ‘Dancers of the Week’ with Mary from team Solaris!

From Mary, “Hi, my name is Mary and I’m 13 years old! I’ve been dancing for 2 years competitively in Radiance 2023 and Solaris 2024. Outside of dance, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, learning about the Hmong culture, and also playing flag football. This year, I’m looking forward to improving my dancing skills and inspiring others!”

Solaris’ Mentor, PZ, says: “Mary Yang is a passionate dancer who is always ready to work hard! She is very friendly and helps out her teammates. Mary is also a self driven individual who continues to challenge herself by trying new things and believing in her abilities. When it comes to practice time, Mary has no hesitation to showing her great passion. It has been such a great opportunity to be working with Team Solaris this year. I can’t cant wait to see our beautiful dancers on stage!”

Stay tuned for this week’s next highlighted student✨

We can’t believe we are already halfway through May! 🌸

This week’s next dancer of the week is from team Venus. And you might have seen her sister, Jessica (from Serene Suns) posted just a few weeks ago! 😉

Today the spotlight is on Jennica! “Hi I'm Jennica I am 10 years old. I've been dancing for 4 years, 2 years in DLDS and this is my second year with Venus. What I like to do outside of dance is to color, watch Netflix, listen to songs, do make up, and help with cooking. Finally what I’m most excited is for this year's competition and dances!”

Venus’ mentor, Nal, says: “Jennica is a determined dancer. I admire her desire to improve her skills everyday and stay humble. Every practice she comes with a positive attitude and ready to learn.”

Stay tuned for next week’s highlighted student✨