About Alexander Chiu

Introduction

So you wanted to know a little more about me, Alexander Chiu. You've come to the right place. All I ask is that everyone PLEASE NOT think I'm THIS guy: Alex Chiu. I'm an entrepreneur, a swing dancer, a technology fan, a cook, and a gourmand. I'm hoping that this page makes it to Google searches since I want all my fellow swing dancers to know me. They don't need to like me, they just need to know me and be able to search for me on a Google search. I will be going more in depth with who I am but I will also explain a little more about the swing dancer side of me since that is the focus of this website.

Alexander Chiu : The Entrepreneur

I started doing business at an early age. As a young entrepreneur, I knew that my family background in business would one day rear it's head and call forth powers to make me what I am today. I am a small business owner. I started my management consultation business when I was only a teenager and I specialized in using technology to accomplish higher profits and lower costs for my clientele. If any of you are interested, my business website is www.noirgroup.org. I have spent years building my company: NOIR Group and I am looking to grow it into a multi-national conglomerate of specialized businesses. I thought a small bit of my personal background as a young entrepreneur would help you get to know a major part of my life. I've worked hard for my management consultation business. Some of you may ask: "How does he manage a business and still dance?" The answer is: "I don't sleep."

Alexander Chiu : The Technology Doctor

I have been into technology for a long time. You may see me out dancing with lots of gadgets and widgets in my bags. I like to use technology such as my HTC communication devices, my Fujitsu P1610 convertible tablet computer, or even my Sony T50 Cybershot camera. It's all about doing as much as I can in the time I have left on this precious earth. Technology isn't about the wonderful toys we bring around with us but rather the use of such tools to make the most out of our time. There are only 2 limiting factors in this world. One of them is time, and the other is space. (Yes, yes, you damn physicists will say otherwise for space.) I use technology to conserve and optimize on both factors. I also help people with their technology and hence my nickname is: Doctor. Do you have any interesting technology to show me? Let me know by contacting me.

Alexander Chiu : The Cook

One of the most relaxing activities in my life is cooking. I love to cook and I see it as a therapeutic activity. I'm active with my imagination so as fate would put it, necessity is the mother of recipe invention. I can create most dishes on the spot from whatever is available. When equipped with better equipment and produce, I can cook excellently executed dishes. Yes, I'll admit the countless hours watching the Food Network and watching that "fuzzy little elf" Emeril. Who better to learn the tricks of the trade from than Bobby Flay, Alton Brown, Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, Ina Garten, and Mario Batali? My heaviest influence in cooking comes from Cantonese, French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish cuisines. My overflowing creativity also comes out in my dancing and is described as an explosion of grace and skill.

Alexander Chiu : The Gourmand

As much as I love to cook, I love to eat. One of my favorite hobbies is to visit a restaurant and indulge in a culinary experience. I pride myself on eating virtually anything. Vegetarian jokes aside, I'm very open to trying new things and would love to get first hand experience from the source of the product to the plate. Some of my favorite places in New York City include Kai, Bruno Jamais, Megu, Per Se, and Babbo. Yes, I eat at much less expensive eateries as well but I always savor a dining experience. I think it is very important to expose myself to various countries and dining experiences from the side of the street vendor to the upscale private dining rooms. Each experience is unique and treasured in its own way. Visit my Restaurants page for my best picks in dining and if you come to New York City, be sure to come eat with me whether it is at home, in a restaurant, or on the dance floor.

Alexander Chiu : The Swing Dancer

As a swing dancer, I believe that the dance is based on musicality, feel, flow, and techniques. I'm a lead and a follow and think it is important to learn all sides of the dance. One of the most important things about being a dancer is to be open to new ways of learning and absorbing. I have danced Swing since 1996 and while I started in DC, my roots will always be New York City, the birthplace of Lindy Hop Swing. My training comes from great instructors and friends such as Frankie Manning, , Yuval Hod, Nathalie Gomes, Steve Bailey, Naomi Uyama, and Nina Gilkenson. My dancing was also heavily influenced by Skye Humphries, Kevin St Laurent, Carla Heiney, Peter Strom, and Dax Hock. Another point to my dancing is that while I am influenced by so many great instructors, I found that it was important to have my own style. I was also primarily a social and competition dancer since I didn't value exchanges very highly. I wanted to heighten my skill and while building towards stronger fundamentals. It was important to integrate fun and presence. While this attitude may seem harsher to pure social dancers, I felt that presentation of the dance would help spread the popularity and overall perception of the dance. To this day, I haven't turned down a social dance unless too tired and I have remained a positive force in the swing dancing community. If you see me on the dance floor, definitely ask me for a dance. I may be a little shy and anti-social but I believe that the dance allows us to communicate on a deeper level. See you out dancing!

Learning to Swing Dancing

Most of my original training in swing dancing was primarily from social dancing in the DC scene from 1996 to 2001. I was inaugurated to the swing dance culture by some of DC's most beloved instructors and organizers. Among them were Tom Koerner, Debra Sternberg, Naomi Uyama, Nina Gilkenson, Marty Lau, and Steve Bailey. They welcomed me into a world where a geeky kid could dance and be happy dancing. One of my greatest influences of the time was Jayna Morgan who organized the George Washington University Jitterbug Swing Club. I joined management of the club for GWU during college. The dance as well as the management aspect have stuck with me ever since then.

While first starting, I was immensely intimidated by the beautiful women, great moving feet of Lindy Hoppers, the fast rhythms, and did I mention beautiful women? As a beginner it is important to get beyond the intimidation. I would recommend going to a few social events to watch and learn from beginner lessons but nothing substitutes a dance instructor or a dance studio. Be sure to go to a dance studio that will help you get past the intimidation. I would also recommend that you should go to a dance instructor that makes you feel comfortable. You won't learn anything by being intimidated by your surroundings. Lots of instructors have introduction lessons where you can take either an introductory private lesson or group lesson for minimal cost.

The second matter regarding learning the dance is to make sure you focus on fundamentals of the dance. Believe it or not, swing dancing is a heavy concentration on the basics. Dancers won't be impressed with all the crazy moves you can do if you can't lead or follow the moves with strong fundamentals. Even if you feel that you can be an just-passing dancer in the advanced level, it may be a better idea to be the best dancer in the beginner level first. Be a good dancer first, then you can be a flashy one.

The third and most important matter while learning to dance is never forget where you came from. You concentrated on building your fundamentals and you learned lots of moves. Sure, you turned out to be a good dancer and you feel a great sense of acomplishment. The main reason why you did all of this was to have fun and enjoy the dance from the beginner stage to the advanced stage. It's all about having connections with other people.

Continuing Swing Dancing

So now after I learned some of the basics of swing dancing, I came back to New York City. I was one of the founding members of the Columbia University Swing Club. The CU Swing project lasted from 2002-2006. I joined fellow New York dancers like Cody Mui, Henry Ko, Audrey Au, Payken Chiang, Michelle, and Ben Hung in this project and it was purely for just kicks. Soon after creating this resource, I went on to join Hop Swing and a Jump in 2005 to hone my skills and to improve more as a technical dancer. Yuval Hod was kind enough to coach me in my development as a swing dancer. Hop Swing and a Jump is one of the best places for dancers to learn the dance since it focused on just Swing dancing. My development as a swing dancer to date is partly due to Yuval Hod's excellent efforts as a coach and life friend.

Besides swing dancing, I found myself intrigued with other social dances. From 2002-2007 I studied dances such as Argentine Tango, Break Dancing, Hip Hop, Balboa, and West Coast Swing. I now combine my influences directly into my swing dancing. I urge other swing dancers to do the same but always remember traditional savoy and hollywood style. I believe that swing can still evolve more from where it is now.

After seeing my adventure through the world of dancing, I am now part of the Hop Swing and a Jump Performance Class in New York City and I have become entrenched as an organizer of events such as the New York City Balboa Weekend. I enjoy performing for people and being the positive dancer that helps to grow the scene.

Organizing the Dance Community

Organizing the dance community takes a lot of effort. I am one of the few and proud organizers in New York City for swing dancing events. Many of my friends have asked: "Why do you organize these events even though they take so much effort?" I always tell them that I do it for the love of the dance and the growth of the community. Please take a look at my organizations page for more details on my tireless efforts in creating events for NYC and beyond!