Ajummas Are Part of a Rhythm Nation Too

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Ajumma Bring Rhythm Nation to the Grocery Store
Grab your visor and get that perm tight. In celebration of Korean American Day -- an actual thing, my friends, commemorating the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the U.S. in 1903 -- the ladies of Ajumma EXP blessed unsuspecting shoppers at Zion Market in San Diego with a dope dance routine set to Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation." Go for the groceries, stay for the flash mob. Watch it here.

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Sikh center in Orangevale defaced with white power and swastika markings
A recently opened Sikh spiritual center in the Sacramento area was defaced with racist graffiti. The sign in front of the Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Center in Orangevale had a swastika and the words "white power" sprayed onto it sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.

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Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani do romantic comedy with a twist in The Lovebirds exclusive first look
Ladies and gentleman, meet your newest rom-com crushes. EW's got the first look at The Lovebirds, the upcoming romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. The film follows Jibran and Leilani, a couple on the brink of a breakup who find themselves wrapped up in a murder mystery in New Orleans.

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Awkwafina Returns to Queens, and Nora Lum
The New York Times interviews Nora Lum, aka Awkwafina, about her rapid ascent. She recently became the first Asian American to win best actress at the Golden Globes for her lead role in The Farewell, and her semi-autobiographical TV show Awkwafina is Nora From Queens premieres January 22 on Comedy Central.

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Why the Parasite cast deserves Oscars — and didn’t get nominated
While Bong Joon Ho's masterpiece Parasite racked up six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, the film's cast was conspicuously (and predictably) shut out. News flash: the Oscars don't have a particularly good track record of awarding actors in foreign-language films.

Oh yeah, heads up: Parasite is now available for purchase on digital platforms.
Amazon | iTunes | Vudu | Google Play

Ajumma EXP is back, behind the wheel and busting a move

Baby, remember my name.



Awwwwwwww yeah. Grab your visor and get that perm tight. The ladies of Ajumma EXP are back, behind the wheel, and busting a move. This time, we find our favorite gang of ajummas getting caught up in the groove when Irene Cara's 1980 classic "Fame" comes on in the carpool. You will be unable to resist substituting "remember" with "AJUMMA AJUMMA AJUMMA" the next time you hear this song.

When taiko meets big band and swing dancing!

Watch a performance from San Jose Taiko's Swingposium: Big Band Music and Dance from Camp.



What do you get when you mix taiko with big band and swing dancing? A super-fun time, as evidenced by this awesome performance from San Jose Taiko's Swingposium: Big Band Music and Dance from Camp, an immersive show performed and produced last year with Epic Immersive and Wesley Jazz Ensemble.

The piece, "Singing in the Present," is a mash-up of San Jose Taiko's signature song, "Gendai ni Ikiru (Living in the Present)" and Benny Goodman's swing classic, "Sing Sing Sing." And it looks like it was a blast.

Visors! Perms! Flash Mob at the Korean Market!

The ladies of Ajumma EXP crash the produce aisle in celebration of Korean American Day.



Ajumma EXP strikes back! This is how you celebrate Korean American Day.

If you didn't know, January 13 was Korean American Day, commemorating the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States in 1903. And if you were shopping at Zion Market in San Diego on Saturday, you may have seen a badass flash mob of ajummas getting their commemoration on. Hard.

Ajumma EXP describe themselves as "a crew of fierce women who embrace growing older, getting wiser, and being able to laugh at ourselves." Following their stunning debut last fall at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, the ladies of Ajumma EXP recently brought their visor-clad fierceness to the food court and produce section at the local Korean market, busting a move to J.J. Fad's "Supersonic." It was glorious.

Check it out:

How Asian Grandpas Get Down With The Weeknd

Just another day at the park with your Asian grandpa...



This is the silliest thing you'll see today. Let it be your guide.

Funny video makers Chuck Maa and Geo Lee, aka Seventh Grade, teamed up with Will Choi of Asian AF to channel their future Asian grandpa selves for this incredible lip sync video to the tune of "I Feel It Coming." Daft Punk ain't got nothing on these visor-clad old timers. Check those stretches. Feel it.

Flash mob! Meet the badass ladies of Ajumma EXP

"Celebrating middle-aged women everywhere through the Ajumma EXPerience."



Grab your visor and get that perm tight. It is on. The world-wide takeover of Ajumma EXP begins now.

Started by lead ajumma instigators Sonia Chin and Lee Ann Kim, Ajumma EXP is a self-described "crew of fierce women who embrace growing older, getting wiser, and being able to laugh at ourselves." They aim to create a fun platform to educate and entertain the world about the "Ajumma," and in doing so, celebrate all middle-aged women. Wait, what is an ajumma? Aigoo! Read here.

And what better way to demonstrate this fierceness than through dance? The badass ajummas of Ajumma EXP recently made their sun-shielded, perm-tastic debut earlier this month with by crashing the dance floor at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, with a flashmob dance set to JJ Fad's "Supersonic."

I was present, it was one of the most wonderful things I have ever witnessed. Check it out:

It's Asian Men! A Sexy Short Film

For anyone who thought 'Magic Mike' was sorely lacking some hot Asian men.



The sexy short film It's Asian Men!, directed by NaRhee Ahn, is a story about an Asian American wife and husband who get hot and bothered on a date night in, but the mood changes for the worse when they watch Magic Mike and see no hot sexy Asian men at all. (Thanks again, Hollywood.) But in the wife's dreams, she finds herself in an alternate all-Asian version of the film... then wakes up to a pleasant surprise.

WARNING: There is considerable shirtless gyrating.

When You Can't Help But Show How You Feel

Or How Love Happens in a Dance Flick



Ooh, that feeling. When you see that special someone from across the bar, and there's only one way to show them how you really feel: DANCE, BRO. In this BuzzFeed video, some dancing dudes demonstrate their smooth moves to impress a classy lady. It's really weird, cute and cool all at once.

Just watch:

Misty Copeland jammed with Yo-Yo Ma on 'The Late Show'

Stephen Colbert welcomed the celebrated ballerina and cellist for a special performance.



Behold, as three awesome performers combine forces for a really cool television moment. Last night, Stephen Colbert welcomed celebrated ballerina Misty Copeland to jam with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma on The Late Show. The result was a gorgeous performance set to the Courante from Bach's "Cello Suite No. 2."

Check it out:

Harry Shum Jr posted a video. With dancing. And muscles.

Welcome to the Shirtless Shum Workout.



So... just because. Harry Shum Jr. casually posted this video the other day on Twitter. There isn't much to say about it, except that it involves dancing and shirtlessness and muscles. I think I've said enough.

Who will win season eight of America's Best Dance Crew?

Will it be Quest Crew, SuperCr3w or Kinjaz? Vote now.



All right, folks. Your vote matters. I'm talking about, of course, America's Best Dance Crew. Three totally kickass crews, Quest Crew, SuperCr3w and Kinjaz, have made it to the finals of MTV's dance competition, and your vote will determine who is crowned the ABDC All Star Champions. All three crews delivered stunning, mic-dropping final performances on last night's penultimate show of Season 8.

I mean, just watch:

Cute Central Park dance video turns into surprise proposal

To the tune of Frank Sinatra's "You Make Me Feel So Young."



It starts off as one of these super-cute dance videos that populate the internet. An attractive New York City couple dance around Central Park to the tune of Frank Sinatra's "You Make Me Feel So Young."

But then, the gentleman gets down on one knee...

Five years ago, dancers Amanda Phillips and Joshua Dela Cruz got together to film a dance reel. They apparently never finished it, but they did start dating. In this video, they finally get around to finishing that reel, but little did Amanda know, Joshua had incorporated a very big surprise into the routine.

Stick around for the final take...

This Show Has The Most Asians on TV Right Now

MTV's 'America's Best Dance Crew' is back for an all-star showdown.



America's Best Dance Crew is back! MTV's groundbreaking team dance competition returned to the airwaves last week, bringing back the show's previous champions for an all-star showdown culminating at the VMAs. You all know I was a huge fan of the show in its heyday, so I'm extra pumped to see all these crews back in top form.

And let's just say it: between the collective membership of Quest Crew, Super Cr3w, Kinjaz, We Are Heroes and I.aM.mE Crew, ABDC is the show with the most Asians on TV right now. No joke.

It's difficult to choose favorite. I love all the crews, but their styles are so different. Quest is, of course, a perennial standout. However, I'm also extra rooting for Kinjaz, a new crew that includes dancers from first season champions Jabbawockeez and first season fan-favorites Kaba Modern.

At this point, I have two gripes about the show.

Who run the world? White girls playing Oriental dress-up.

Dance video to Beyonce/2NE1 suddenly gets all Asian and shit.



Who run the world? Girls. And I'm all good with that. But I'm watching popular YouTube dancers, 14-year-old Larsen Thompson and 11-year-old Taylor Hatala, make this proclamation in their ferocious dance video to Beyonce's feminist pop anthem, and it's generally fine... until about halfway through when 2NE1's "I Am The Best" kicks in and the whole thing turns to Oriental nonsense, complete with the fans and the qipaos and the chopsticks in the hair.

It's a mess:

Stella Abrera Promoted to Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre

Abrera becomes the company's first Filipino American principal ballerina.


Stella Abrera dancing the title role in 'Giselle.'
This week, the American Ballet Theatre announced the promotion of Stella Abrera and Misty Copeland to the rank of Principal Dancer. This is awesome news, as many have noted and celebrated, because Copeland becomes the first black woman in the company's 75-year history to hold the role.

But wait, there's more! The promotion is doubly historic because Ms. Abrera is the ABT's first Filipino American dancer to ascend to the rank of principal, the highest position for a dancer in a ballet company.

Fil-Am ballerina Stella Abrera promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre

Abrera, who hails from Pasadena, California, began studying dance at age 5 and joined the American Ballet Theatre as a member of its corps de ballet in 1996. She was named a soloist in 2001. This week, she will be performing the title role in ABT's production of Cinderella at the Metropolitan Opera.

Stompin' at the Pauley Ballroom

Online gallery collects dance bids from the Bay Area's era of 1970s Asian American soul bands.


"Together We Have Strength"
Got this passed along to me from Elmer Jan, one of our longtime readers, and it's really cool.

In the 1970s, UC Berkeley's Pauley Ballroom (as well as other venues in the San Francisco Bay Area) hosted dances that attracted largely Asian American audiences and featured dozens of Asian American garage bands playing covers of soul hits of the time. This San Francisco Chronicle article by Annie Nakao, written in 2004, looked back at this fun era of the Bay Area's musical history.

Elmer, who was apparently a regular attendee of these gatherings, has put together an online gallery, entitled Stompin' at the Pauley Ballroom, displaying a bunch of the dance announcements that he collected and preserved from the era. They make for some very cool Asian American community memorabilia.

"We called them 'dance bids' back in the day," Elmer says. "Finding a way to share them had been on my mind for years and I've finally finished this modest project."

Here some images from the gallery:

Jane Lui's fun mashup cover pays tribute to Janet Jackson

Watch the dance-tastically silly video for "All For You/Together Again/Escapade."



One of my favorite people and mad genius music-maker Jane Lui recently put together a stunningly cool mashup cover of three of Janet Jackson's biggest hit songs from the 80s, 90s and 00s, All For You & Together Again & Escapade. It's awesome. And to make the dance-tastically silly video for the tune, she enlisted the help of some friends to show off their moves. It's ridiculous fun.

Check it out:

Master Indian dancer and educator Chitresh Das dies at 70

Well-known and influential performer of the North Indian classical dance movement Kathak



Revered Bay Area-based dancer and educator Chitresh Das, master performer of the North Indian classical dance movement Kathak, died of an aortic dissection Sunday in Marin County. He was 70.

Chitresh Das, influential Kathak dancer and educator, dies

Born in Kolkata in 1944, Das brought his lifelong study of Indian dance to the United States in the 1970s, starting the Chhandam School of Kathak to instruct a younger generation in the semi-narrative art of Kathak. Chhandam now has ten branches and and estimated enrollment of 550 students.

He was a well-known and influential figure in the Bay Area Indian dance scene, as both a teacher and perfomer, and is credited with forming the first university Kathak course at San Francisco State University.

He is also remembered as a extraordinary entertainer and storyteller:

Get your butts back to work

Some slick moves from Korean dancer Joo Min Jeong to jumpstart your week



Happy New Year. Yup, it's Monday. Time to get our butts back to work, my friends.

Here is some badass dubstep to set you off right, just for the heck of it. That's Korean dancer Joo Min Jeong, former winner of Korea's Got Talent, showing off some slick moves to Rockers' "Kill The Noise."

Check it out:

Jon M. Chu making 1990s dance comedy 'Can't Touch This'

No, it's not a M.C. Hammer biopic.



Director Jon M. Chu is reportedly going old school with a new feature film project called Can't Touch This. No, it's not a M.C. Hammer biopic. It's a high school dance comedy movie set in the 1990s. Well, that's my jam.

Jon M. Chu, Focus Features Step Up To '90s-Set 'Can't Touch This'

According to Deadline, Chu and his producing partner Hieu Ho have sold the retro dance-comedy, with a script by The Goldbergs producers Annie Mebane and Steve Basilone, to Focus Features.