Hmong dance groups in Conn. seek to connect young girls with their heritage and roots

Preserving their roots through the art of dance. The Connecticut Hmong community is connecting with its youth through traditional dance groups.

Practice makes perfect for Melina Vang as one half of a two person Hmong dance group.

“We like to do big dance moves and kind of like move our hands as much as we can. We also like to be very poised with our hands,” she said.

Vang says the dancing isn’t meant to be flashy, but precise.

“Whenever I dance, I correlate the dance moves with the lyrics, so I’m singing the lyrics as I’m doing the dance with the lyrics,” she said.

Lyrics that are entirely in Hmong, a language Vang isn’t fluent in, but learning. She gets help from her coach, Boa Moua.

“I’m able to translate the song for them like, 'oh that’s what it means,” Moua said.

Moua is in charge of three dance groups for the Hmong Foundation of Connecticut, which is working to pass on their heritage to younger generations. She’s part of a tiny community of 266 people in Connecticut, based on data compiled by the Asian and Asian American Studies Institute at UConn. Many came from Laos in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

“We have such a small community and as a younger generation, they come and they kind of forget who as a Hmong people. Even our language is starting to fade,” Moua said.

She says dance is integral in Hmong culture with themes usually being about love and community blessings. She believes it’s an excellent way for young girls to understand their roots.

“It does define who we are when we do our traditional dancing. Tell backstories, our ancestors of who we are as Hmong people,” Moua said.

That means starting them young, which includes some girls in elementary school from around the state.

“It’s fun to dance, but it’s a little nervous doing it in front of people,” seven-year-old Alani said.

They’re also slowly picking up the language.

“I know how to count in Hmong,” Alani said.

Moua says it’s a fulfilling role to be coaching these girls, especially when they’re performing at events.

“Being able to perform and show everyone like our traditions and just our dance in general, it makes me very happy,” she said.

Vang says she’d love to continue dancing as it’s now fully part of her own Hmong identity.

“It’s very tight knit. Everybody know everybody and if we ever need help with anything everybody is just there for each other,” she said.