Growing up surrounded by the elegance of classical Chinese dance, I learned early on how movement can tell a story. But even more captivating to me was the sound that so often accompanied those stories — the mesmerizing tones of the  GuZheng, a traditional Chinese zither that has echoed through centuries of history and art.

Whether I was dancing or watching Chinese period dramas, I was always drawn to the GuZheng’s voice. It seemed to express what words could not — beauty, emotion, memory, and soul. Even as a child, I dreamed of one day playing it myself.

That dream stayed with me, quietly, until adulthood — when I finally decided to pursue it. I found a teacher, the incredible  Ms. Winnie Wong, and began learning. To my amazement, everything about the GuZheng felt familiar. The discipline, the rhythm, the flow — it mirrored everything I had loved about dance.  It felt like dancing again, but with my fingers.