Silver Lining Between Art and Salsa with Larry Shao
“Everybody wants to have culture, and I am willing to pay for it.”
Summary of Episode:
Jenn speaks to Larry Shao a Taiwanese American who founded Taipei Mambo Project Dance Company and La Salsa Dance School in Taipei in 2007. A US-trained visual artist, Larry moved back to Taiwan to pursue his visual art career but found himself growing his interest in salsa then having to make a decision on which to go full-time with. Larry shares how he transitioned from being a visual artist to becoming a full-time salsa instructor and studio owner in Taiwan and the lessons he learned along the way. Including choosing to move back to Taiwan for his parents, and how as a creative you will also be able to apply your talents to the industry you are in!
I want to encourage those who are visual artists that your education is very valuable. I was trained in visual arts but everything I am doing in dance right now I am using my training from visual arts.
About Larry Shao:
Larry Shao is a Taiwan-based salsa instructor; he is best known for his methodical teaching style and musical choreographies. Larry teaches weekly classes, promotes events, and hosts international artists' workshops on a regular basis. Larry is the director of La Salsa Taipei Dance School and Taipei Mambo Project Dance Company; he is also the organizer of Formosa Salsa Festival.
Larry is dedicated to the fostering of the salsa and bachata dance culture in Taiwan; he founded La Salsa Taipei in 2007, one of the most prominent salsa and bachata studios in Taiwan. He has cultivated hundreds of social and performance dancers over the years.
