Kwan Chan - what a man! He is so humble and genuine, I felt peace talking to him. He has this lovely childlike essence coupled with an absolutely mature and mindful approach-building skill and he has incredible body strength - check out his YouTube channel to see his breaking. Skills that apply not only to dance but all areas of life. It was just the conversation I needed to have. Sage wisdom from this fierce and gentle soul. And deep creativity.
I was blown away by his answer to my final question “There are many ways to lead a life - what does that mean to you?"
It’s more than enough to provide quality and value to the people you reach.
In this Podcast you will learn:
- The essence, lineage and canon of breaking and where we feel it;
- The physical manifestation of the spirit and the creative process (for him it isn’t too crazy)
- We learn a lot about the history of dance
- How your physicality can signal dignity - through amazing dance and physicality, we come to conclusions that can relate to writing and other forms of expression
- In talking about his work counselling children in London primary schools, I ask a big question of Kwan about his own reflections - his answer is not won easily but it is beautifully thought out, expressed and revealing. This work is important.
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would come and say hi over on @sarahfuruyacreative on Instagram.
About Kwan
Kwan Chan was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Toronto. In September 2023, after working in Japan for seven years, Kwan moved to London, UK, to pursue a Master's degree in Dance Movement Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths, University of London. Kwan is a breaker and has been breaking for more than 17 years. Additionally, Kwan is a singer-songwriter and plays the acoustic guitar. In London, Kwan continues to train, compete, and teach breaking, remaining quite active in the local breaking scene. As a singer-songwriter, Kwan frequently performs at open mics throughout the city. Kwan also works part-time in a primary school as a school mentor, providing counselling and supporting students with their mental and emotional well-being.
Links
Apache Sugarhill Gang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQObWW06VAM
Give it up and turn it loose James Brown https://youtu.be/921kqkHOHDo?si=u0SN1BJdKZdg42gX
Just begun Jimmy Castor https://youtu.be/WylCcdTrzS4?si=Zkv1UQ0mksWwW1s4
Connect with Kwan
Website: www.kwankchan.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kwankitchan/
LinkTree: www.linktr.ee/kwanchan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kwanchan91
Connect with Sarah
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sarah-furuya-creative
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahfuruyacreative/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahfuruyacreative
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsuS_yVT9fMHjhAylVy8-w