Tiana Shern: Motivating Others Through Dance 沈頌祈: 舞出新節拍

ENGLISH 英 :  Andrea Lo | CHINESE 中 :  Maggie Ho

VENUE: Toronto Marriott Markham, Downtown Markham · ART DIRECTION: DEBORAH LAU-YU · Photographer: Jackson Huang, Ikonica Images · VIdeographer: Karl Man · Fashion direction & Styling: Ashley Galang · MAKEUP & HAIR: Veronica Chu · Office team: Lilian mak, ruizhou li

Meet Tiana Shern, a TikTok dance sensation with over a million international followers — and counting. Born and raised in Markham, Ont., the 26-year-old Chinese Canadian started her dancing career relatively late in life. But her passion for and dedication to mixed-style hip-hop choreography have since taken her far.

Based in Toronto, Shern frequently travels to Vancouver and Los Angeles to work with local dancers while honing her own dance skills through continuous training. For her, dance isn’t just a popular social trend. It’s a powerful form of interpersonal communication that brings people together, regardless of cultural background or body type. 

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網絡紅人、直播主持、社交明星、KOL……一大堆近年冒起的職業名號，對於抱傳統觀念的一代人來說，可能很難理解，甚至懷疑：玩玩罷了，是認真的職業嗎？能夠維持生計嗎？26歲的沈頌祈（Tiana Shern）以TikTok舞蹈視頻吸引超過百萬追隨者，經過一步又一步努力發展及經營各項技能，不但成功開展了舞蹈KOL事業，更利用網上世界的影響力，凝聚各方舞蹈愛好者的力量，重新定義作為亞洲舞蹈紅人的意義。

Shern first realized that dance could be an infectiously inclusive act when she started watching the hit TV show America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) at age 15. Inspired by the performers’ infectious energy, she decided she wanted to learn how to dance. After researching local dance schools, she eventually settled on VYBE Dance. She trained there for two years before becoming a teacher at the school and a valued member of the operations team. 

學舞的過程

Tiana對舞蹈的熱愛自童年開始：小時候的她總是熱切地追看電視上的美國舞蹈節目，15歲的時候在VYBE舞蹈學校開始了爵士舞課程；及後在多倫多大學攻讀運動科學與體育教育。運動家時刻鍛鍊，不斷向目標前進的精神，似乎早滲透她的基因。在大學期間，Tiana加入了校內的專業舞團，並舉辦學界比賽，在溫哥華、洛杉磯等地受訓。隨年月成長，舞蹈是Tiana的興趣、工作，還有更重要的意義。她說：「從前學跳舞是為了交朋友、聯誼。一路以來，舞蹈帶給我朋友、工作，成就了今日的我。更重要的是，它令我更有自信，讓我發掘及展示自我、發揮創意。」

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At the University of Toronto, where she studied kinesiology and set the foundation for her understanding of physiological movements, Shern danced competitively as a member of the Fo’Real Dance and Flex dance team, and participated in the Ontario Universities Competition for Hip-Hop. After graduation, she joined forces with VYBE Dance owner and crew director Jasmin Yeung to launch REACH, an annual post-secondary dance competition designed to bring school communities together and provide a platform for students to express their creativity through movement. While overseeing these competitions, Shern has personally witnessed formerly shy individuals learn how to socialize and network through dance. This was especially apparent during the pandemic, when dance became an important outlet for self-expression and a means of communication, especially on TikTok, where dance trends exploded. Shern was part of the eruption. People obviously like what she does. 

網紅不為人知的努力

Tiana的媽媽一直支持女兒培養舞蹈的興趣，甚至把家中地庫改裝成專業排舞室，讓女兒跟隊友有排練空間。但說到把舞蹈作為職業，Tiana媽媽跟一般亞裔家長一樣，並不太理解。Tiana說：「我沒有預先跟她說明，直至當我漸上軌道，足夠養活自己，她便開始放心讓我繼續發展。」

不只她父母，一般人也未必理解Tiana作為網絡創作者的身份和職業。一條數十秒的舞蹈視頻，當中包括了尋找題材、編舞排舞的預備；拍攝以外，更要花上大量時間剪輯、後期製作、上載、宣傳發帖等。她表示最快的一次舞蹈視頻製作也要用上四天時間；一般正常的情況下，從籌備、拍攝到發佈，往往要花上兩個星期。她解釋道：「每次創作都需要大量時間構思。另外，除了管理社交平台，跟贊助接洽、出席品牌活動、處理財政大小事務，也是工作的一部分。」

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When she first became a content creator on social media three years ago, she started with 50,000 followers. That number quickly expanded to 500,000 within a couple of weeks. Once she reached 900,000 followers, Shern committed to making TikTok a 24/7 career choice. But to make it work she needed paid partnerships, which she eventually secured after much chasing and convincing via DMs and emails. 

Shern now supports herself full-time as a dancer on social media. Until she could do that, she kept her dance aspirations a secret from her Chinese-born parents, worried they wouldn’t approve. Yet, it was her mother who first encouraged her to take up dance in the first place. When her daughter first showed an interest in dance, she turned the family basement into a mini dance studio for her, a gesture that earned her a “Most Supportive Parent” award at the conclusion of one of Shern’s dance competitions. She has always supported her daughter in dance and today is one of her biggest fans. 

透過網上分享生活

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網紅工作不只是吃喝打卡玩樂，保持人氣的關鍵更需要傳遞獨特的聲音和想法，吸引社群討論或追隨。「我的舞蹈視頻都是一般人可以跟着學習的。我不會隱藏失敗、犯錯的片段，所以一般人會感到親切。」因為舞蹈而變得自信的她，更希望透過分享，鼓勵大家學習欣賞自己的身體，認識自我。「作為一個舞者，我會努力保持身體狀態，管理自己的體重、體能；但現今網絡上很多人會隨意批評其他人的外表，尤其是對女性會有更多評頭品足，我希望為此而發聲，讓網上其他女孩也能學習欣賞自己，不受外界影響。」她的影片內容，不只單純地展示舞蹈技巧，更分享個人生活的點滴。

Still, Shern sometimes feels uncomfortable knowing her mother is watching her dance on TikTok. She tried blocking her. But her mother signed on using an alias — an endearing testament to the extraordinary lengths that mothers will go to champion their loved ones. 

She’s not the only one watching. Shern’s audience, primarily women between the ages of 18 and 24, hails mainly from India, the United States and Canada. Numbering over a million, they have tallied up close to seven million views on her TikTok channel, adding considerably to its popularity.

As an influencer, Shern strives to be an exemplary role model for the younger generation, offering fun lessons on dance, while exploring body movement and fostering body positivity. Her TikTok offerings often include bloopers — the things that can and do go wrong when spending up to eight hours a day creating choreography and enduring multiple takes during filming sessions that go into the night. These outtakes inform her audience that even professionals can make mistakes and that dance requires a great deal of time and practice. It’s how Shern keeps it real. 

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加拿大華裔獨特的聲音

自言只是「識聽唔識講」的Tiana曾經製作一條舞蹈影片，教導簡單廣東話，引起不少同是華裔後代的年青人留言及分享。成長以來，Tiana對於作為加拿大華裔後代的身份既愛且恨：最愛新年時收到的紅封包和各式各樣的亞洲食物，卻又少不免經歷過帶飯盒被同學歧視或學習第二語言等文化沖擊。她表示：「作為加拿大華裔後代，我非常感恩父母辛勞為我們提供很好的成長環境，若不是他們移居這兒，我也不會有機會在社交媒體上分享一切。」

Tiana坦言自己仍在不斷學習平衡不同身份文化，近年她逐漸意識到自己作為亞洲人、亞洲面孔，在社交媒體和流行文化中可以為社群帶來不一樣的影響力。「當我出席音樂節時，不少人會驚訝原來亞洲人也會跳爵士舞。我希望透過網絡傳播，因為我的出現，令更多人看到亞洲人的不同才華。」

It’s also important to her to use TikTok as a platform for advancing Asian representation in popular dance. Shern laments that when growing up, she didn’t have many Asian role models to drive her forward. She’s glad that’s now changing, citing Simu Liu’s recent success in film and TV and Blackpink’s electrifying live performance at Coachella as pivotal moments for her. Shern says she burst into tears when she saw the all-female Asian dance squad command the stage at one of the world’s largest pop music festivals. At long last, here suddenly were dancers who looked like her. Shern vows it won’t be the last time. 

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Committed to increasing the representation of diverse faces in today’s dance industry, Shern provides free online dance tutorials to her many followers. She often receives heartwarming feedback in return from fans sharing how her dance videos helped them to overcome fears, and gain self-confidence. Some tell her that they want to grow up and dance like her. Shern finds that hugely inspiring. Such comments fuel her creativity, she says, enabling her to continue making great content.

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Looking to the future, Shern plans to expand her influence beyond dance. She envisions starting a production studio and exploring new online territory. Her interest in video games has led her to engage on the Twitch platform, another way she intends to connect with her growing Asian fan base. We can’t wait. 

Tiana所代表的新生代，成長於相對富裕及科技發達的環境，勇於自由表現真我，利用新媒體、新渠道去發掘、分享和影響他人。他們不再是被動的觀眾，相反，他們會利用網絡世界的影響力抒發個人故事、想法。匯聚其他擁有相同價值觀的個體，聯合成一股新勢力，重新定義成功和生活的方向。

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