And 2, 3.

Very slow.

Cha, cha.

One, two, three.

And Cha cha.

1, good, 2, 3.

Cha cha, 1, 2, 3.

Cha, cha, 1, good, 2, 3.

Cha, cha.

Welcome back.

2, 3.

Good.

I brush my foot.

I brought it back.

Number eight.

Number eight to the side.

Cha, cha, 1, 2, and 3 and 4 and single.

2 and 3, 4 and double.

2 and 3 and 4 and 1, 2, and 3 and 4 and single.

Very good.

2 and 3.

I don’t hear the feet.

2 and yes and 4 and 1, 2 and 3 and 4 and 1.

Back 2, 3, cha, cha, 1, legs, 2, 3.

Cha, cha, 1, 2.

Yea, yeah.

Eyes up.

Cha, cha, 1, 2, 3.

Cha, cha, 1, 2, 3.

Cha, cha, 1, 2, 3.

And cha, cha, 1, good, 2, 3, and cha, cha, 1, good, 2, 3.

[music]

Before I learned dancing, you know,

I can only use my body to walk, to swim, to run.

Today, I can use my body to reach

another level of freedom.

I wish I could have danced earlier at my age.

But better late than never.

We’re lucky to have an opportunity

and the right time, maybe the last time.

Back in Vietnam, we dance to rock and roll.

I love Bee Gees.

And I can sing all Carpenters song.

What was called the foreign music,

foreign music tend to be very romantic, very, very sexy.

When I first met Paul, he was shy, so shy.

I didn’t think he is my type.

But I remember he invited me to his birthday party.

You have to remember that dancing, in those day,

in Vietnam, it is illegal to have dance party at home.

You can get in trouble.

But we organize a party anyways.

He being gentleman, stretch out hand, shall we dance?

We dance like what they call slow dance, just

like two of us, like close.

I feel he shaking.

I am too.

I vividly remember he can dance.

I start becoming his girlfriend,

because we in love so much, so in love.

I told my father, we have to leave the country

to escape the communist Vietnam.

The communist, something very soon right now, anytime.

If you do business, they go after you.

But my mom was a real business woman.

So soon enough, they start to come to arrest my mom,

say, you have to give up your house.

You have to give up your factory.

When we escape, we know we take

the chance of the lifetime.

Either we die on the ocean or if we get caught

and we get sent home, we’d have nothing left.

Is that O.K., my hair?

Yeah.

O.K.

One day he came.

He say, tomorrow, I have to leave.

I’m sorry.

I could not bring you.

And then, he left.

We were not sure whether we would see each other again.

(SINGING) Oh, my love.

My darling.

Santana.

(SINGING) Oye como va.

Yeah.

Cha, cha?

You know?

(SIGNING) Where do I begin?

I don’t have —

No.

I don’t think so.

On the record.

Hey, hey.

What are you talking about?

We already at that age.

You already —

We already there.

[music]

I am an auditor for the state of California.

Some people, they think, oh, yeah.

It’s good, good exercise, they say.

But then they know we go compete.

We go perform.

We have the best professional teacher from Ukraine.

If one day my co-worker, they will see me dance,

they will be shocked.

They will never think I can dance the way I

dance with my husband.

Totally different two people.

I work as an engineer.

We work full time.

We can afford to retire.

Our daughter has her own life right now.

So we go to the club, at least four nights per week,

taking group lesson, private lesson, and dance

on the floor, three hours in the evening.

Why am I spending so much time dancing?

Am I crazy?

When I came to America, I was scared.

We got nothing, really.

I love her and care for her.

I felt very sorry that I couldn’t bring her with me.

But I don’t want to give empty promise or anything.

It felt really, really hard to accept.

I didn’t hear from him for six months.

And then, I get a letter from him.

So romantic.

He say, even in his dream, he remember my name.

I started writing a lot of love letter to him.

I was so eager to get out.

I talked to lawyer about the immigration petition process.

I prepared to argue my case for her.

I told her, there’s a possibility

that I can get you out.

It might not be successful.

The letter become so slow.

He cannot always think of me, right?

But then, I received a notice from the embassy

saying that I was allowed to leave Vietnam.

I was so happy.

Paul did so much effort.

I was excited.

But you know, after this long separation,

there’s a lot of uncertainty.

I don’t know whether we will be still the right kind

of person for each other.

We only met for six months.

And we were separated for about six years.

Los Angeles, California.

Once I got out from the plane, I saw Paul.

I don’t know how to feel.

He looked a little bit like distant.

He took my hand.

And I feel weird, because we lost that feeling.

After a few days, he says, why don’t we start over?

Stretch.

Your hands are on her shoulders.

Don’t mess up — my shoulder.

Good.

And then, it goes on her head.

3, take her head.

Take it.

Take her head.

O.K., O.K., O.K., O.K., O.K., O.K. I got it.

Make it real.

And to 2.

Take it very slowly.

2 across and ronde, 3.

Good.

Very solid.

[inaudible] walks, 4, and ronde, 1.

Walking out when.

She does the spiral, remember, we close.

Don’t send her out.

Hold her so she does the [inaudible] spin with you.

Another [inaudible] spin.

O.K. I got it.

Bringing the legs —

Yeah.

I know.

I already —

Yeah, then you —

The other way, honey.

I’m going to lift you right now, O.K.?

Run.

Oh, wow.

Oh.

No, no.

Hold on a sec.

I’m going to do it again.

Suddenly — O.K. Go.

Oh, no, no, no.

It’s not down there.

It’s under her ribs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Can you please show me how you

would send your wife there?

It’s not —

Oh.

No, no.

That’s presenting.

Opposite.

I want you to like reach.

Like you want her to come back, but —

O.K. You want me to —

Yeah.

Reach.

Your body.

You follow it.

You follow that.

A little bit early, early, early.

And bring it back.

Remember, motion creates emotion.

O.K. Motion will create emotion.

O.K.

And it goes backwards too.

Emotion makes motion.

Motion create emotion.

Come on.

Come on.

He have no emotion.

That’s why.

Give him some.

[inaudible]

Good.

Down.

[music]

When we came to this country, we have one goal.

We want to establish our lives.

Back then, we didn’t have the luxury

to enjoy life, not exactly knowing

what it means to enjoy life.

Now, we have to learn something new.

We know we don’t have a lot of time left.

We’re making up for the lost time.

[Music]

(SINGING) We’ve only just begun to live.

White lace and promises.

A kiss for luck and we’re on our way.

Before the rising sun, we fly.

So many roads to choose.

We’ll start out walking and learn to run.

Sharing horizons that are new to us.

Watching the signs along the way.

Talking it over, just the two of us.

Working together day to day.

Together.

And when the evening comes, we smile.

So much of life ahead.

We’ll find a place where there’s room to grow.

Sharing horizons that are new to us.

Watching the signs along the way.

Talking it over, just the two of us.

Working together day to day.

Together.

Together.

And when the evening comes, we smile.

So much of life ahead.

We’ll find a place where there’s room to grow.

And yes, we’ve just begun.