Taiwanese Latin dancer snatches two golds at Hanoi Stars Open

Taiwanese Latin dancer snatches two golds at Hanoi Stars Open

2023-07-14

Last week, Latin dancer Michelle Kuo bagged two championship titles at the Hanoi Stars Open, a dancesport competition in Vietnam. Kuo has dedicated her life to dance, from her first steps on the dance floor at age 7. With dedication, and support from her family, she’s been able to thrive internationally to become a true dancing queen.

She twists her hips to the music with delicate and precise movements. This is professional dancer Michelle Kuo.

On July 8, Kuo represented Taiwan at the Hanoi Stars Open, where she won two golds in single Latin dance.

Michelle Kuo
Dancer
I like dancing. I didn’t have much confidence when I started learning, but then I gained confidence. Now I’m more willing to talk, I used to be quite shy.

Hsu Che-hsuan
Coach
Michelle is very expressive, and thanks to the foundations she built from a young age, she’s able to show it. These wins are the culmination of her efforts over all these years.

Kuo started dancing when she was just 7 years old, and even danced on a TV show at age 9. Now, she’s often the winner in national dance competitions. But behind all that glamour is a lot of grueling work.

Michelle Kuo
Dancer
When you are on the dance floor, it can get exhausting, and sometimes that makes me want to give up. But I think I should appreciate every chance I get to go on stage, because they’re hard to come by.

Mother
She’s very persistent, and has a strong willpower. She has her dreams, and I support her wholeheartedly.

With passion, drive and the support from family, Kuo is carving out a space for herself in the international dancesport scene. No matter how tiring training may get, Kuo continues to strut her way to her dreams.

郭品薰赴越南運動舞蹈總會奪單人拉丁雙料冠軍

2023-07-14

高雄左營國中的郭品薰這個月8號代表臺灣，遠赴越南參加世界運動舞蹈總會的公開賽，一舉拿下青少年和青年的單人拉丁雙料冠軍，為國爭光。郭品薰七歲學舞，憑藉著對舞蹈的熱情，在國際賽場上勇敢追夢，小小年紀就有超齡表現，來看看這位青少年拉丁舞后。

隨著音樂扭腰擺臀，動作收放自如，她是舞蹈選手郭品薰。

郭品薰這個月8號代表臺灣，遠赴越南河內參加公開賽，一舉拿下單人拉丁雙料冠軍，為國爭光。

[[舞蹈選手郭品薰]]
“因為喜歡跳舞，(學舞)比較不會那麼沒自信，變的比較有自信，比較敢講話，以前蠻害羞的”

[[教練許哲睿]]
“品薰有非常大的表現力，第二個就是從小給她訓練的基礎，她有辦法展現出來，這次(得獎)是他自己努力，這麼多年來累積出來的實力”

郭品薰7歲學舞，9歲就曾經登上舞蹈節目，更是國內舞蹈比賽的常勝軍，而優秀表現的背後，也有不為人知的辛酸。

[[舞蹈選手郭品薰]]
“在場上跳得很累很累的時候，其實那時候很想棄賽，但是我覺得要珍惜，每次能夠在舞台上的機會，因為很難得”

[[郭品薰媽媽]]
“她是一個很堅持，很有毅力的小孩，她有她的夢想，我就全力支持她”

憑藉著對舞蹈的熱情，還有家人的全力支持，郭品薰在國際賽場上勇敢追夢，平日訓練再苦再累，舞動身體的當下，就像擁有全世界。

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Uyghur rights groups in Washington are calling on governments worldwide to stand up to Beijing. They accuse China of genocide and want people to remember what happened 14 years ago in Urumqi, China, during violent confrontations between Uyghurs, Han Chinese and the police. The rights groups say not much has changed. Graham Kanwit reports for Voice of America.

These Uyghurs in exile accuse China of arbitrarily detaining their loved ones and carrying out other human rights violations in the Uyghur homeland, which they call East Turkistan.

Officially the region in northwest China is called Xinjiang.

Outside the White House, these Uyghurs say they want independence from China. They are also commemorating an event they will never forget in the Xinjiang capital, Urumqi, 14 years ago this month.

Aziz Sulayman
East Turkistan Government in Exile
Mass killed them, mass shoot them and their bloods stained all of Urumqi city, and all night they washed the blood with the pressure washer in order to hide their crime.

In 2009 unrest in Urumqi was sparked by violence at a factory in southern China. Six Uyghur men were accused of sexually assaulting two ethnic Han Chinese women, which led to brawling that left two Uyghurs dead. In Urumqi, Uyghurs took to the streets, demanding justice for the killings. Amanalla Kashgari says the Urumqi protest started peacefully.

Amanalla Kashgari
They wanted those criminals to be charged and a proper investigation to be carried out. However, instead of their voices being heard and sit down with the officials, they were brutally cracked down by the paramilitary.

According to Chinese officials, nearly 200 people died, most of them Han Chinese. But Uyghur activists say that there were many more Uyghur victims, and that China’s repression in their homeland continues to this day. Several countries, including the United States, have described China’s actions as genocide. In a statement to VOA, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu describes people who call the Xinjiang region East Turkistan as “separatist forces” that undermine China’s national unity. The statement says, “The issues related to Xinjiang are not about human rights. They are about countering violent terrorism, radicalization and separatism. The accusation of ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang is a flat-out lie of the century.”

The protesters at the White House are calling on the international community to take more action. Graham Kanwit, for VOA News, Washington.

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Activists call hypocrisy at organizers and attendants of housing justice rally

The pro-independence Taiwan Statebuilding Party and several NGOs are lashing out at former New Power Party legislator Huang Kuo-chang, who plans to hold a rally to promote housing justice and judicial reform this Sunday. The two main opposition presidential candidates and Hon Hai founder Terry Gou have all expressed interest in participating. The groups say Huang’s call for housing justice is hypocritical as he has 23 pieces of real under his name. They also suggest that China might be behind the rally in efforts to take down the ruling DPP.

The Taiwan Statebuilding Party along with various Taiwan nativist NGOs, do not approve of Sunday’s upcoming rally that’s ostensibly in the name of “fairness and justice.”

Chen Li-fu
Taiwan Association of University Professors
No one is opposed to housing justice, no one is opposed to judicial justice, but why is it occurring this year and led by these people? People are hoping to use this as political capital, this is being done with political interests in mind.

Questioning the reasons behind the parade, the group is also pointing a finger at former New Power Party lawmaker Huang Kuo-chang, along with Taiwan People’s Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je, KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih and Hon Hai founder Terry Gou, who are all expected to attend.

Lin Wei-lien
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
The Christian notion or what is said in the Bible stresses “Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse weights, a great and a small.” In today’s terms, this is actually very simple. Don’t have double standards. Don’t make calls for fairness and justice, while you yourself are involved in tax evasion, or involved in illegal use of land, and so on.

Wu Hsin-tai
Taiwan Statebuilding Party
If the Taiwan Statebuilding Party were to organize an anti-China rally, would we ask pro-China politician Wu Sz-huai to take part? Or if Taiwanese society wants to hold a #MeToo protest against sexual harassment, would they ask the perpetrators to join in? If the answer is “no,” then why ask Huang Kuo-chang, who has 23 real estate properties under his name, or Hou Yu-ih, a landlord king, or even Terry Gou, who has his own private jet, and says that urban renewal projects harm the rights of landlords? Why can’t they just be a bit more direct and say this is simply a rally against the DPP?

Aside from critiquing the many problems with the rally’s organizers, the Taiwan Statebuilding Party is also alleging that China is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Wang Hsing-huan
Taiwan Statebuilding Party chair
This is an event aimed at stirring up populist sentiment, inciting hatred and creating confrontation. It’s an activity that caters to China and takes down a nativist Taiwanese administration.

Richard Chen
United Formosans for Independence
We hope all these young people will be able to see clearly and see through all this. These people in the past neglected the trust young people gave them.

The groups are urging the public not to be manipulated and see the facts clearly.

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Farewell ceremony held for Taiwan-made Triton weather satellite

President Tsai Ing-wen joined scientists from the Taiwan Space Agency and other officials Friday to send off the Triton satellite. The object is touted as Taiwan’s first self-made meteorological satellite, with 82% of its development and manufacturing done by local companies and organizations. The satellite will soon be shipped to French Guiana, where it is scheduled to be launched in September, a milestone in Taiwan’s space industry.

President Tsai Ing-wen signs her name on a canvas bag covering what is touted as Taiwan’s first self-made meteorological satellite, Triton. After the signing, officials stand in line to pose with it in farewell, as it will soon be shipped to French Guiana for its launch in September.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
The Triton satellite is like a messenger for the Taiwan Strait. It shows Taiwan’s determination to develop its space industry and be part of the Space Age. It also shows that Taiwanese manufacturing can stand up for itself in the world and up in space.

Taiwan Space Agency
Triton was originally going to be part of the second batch of seven self-made satellites in the FormoSat-7 program. Although the changes came with some twists, we progressed over the past eight years until now. Today, it’s as if we were sending our child abroad. Although we can’t bear parting with it, we are full of hope and joy.

After eight years working on Triton, the team behind the satellite says the farewell feels bittersweet. Triton is being touted as Taiwan’s first self-made meteorological satellite to be launched since the Formosat-7 constellation. It weighs 250 kilograms, and has a volume of more than 1 cubic meter. It uses a GNSS reflectrometry system and will enter orbit at an altitude between 550 and 650 kilometers above the Earth. It’s designed to collect data on sea surface winds to better forecast typhoon paths, heavy rains and air pollution.

Wu Cheng-chung
National Science and Technology Council
The global space industry has only really taken off in the past four years. Taiwan is absolutely not lagging behind. Taiwan passed the Space Development Act and it upgraded the Taiwan Space Agency. It’s thanks to that that today we can launch the Triton satellite.

About 82% of the components in the Triton were made in Taiwan, opening up new possibilities for Taiwan’s space industry. By lending assistance to developers, the government hopes the industry will continue taking off, with the ground segment component industry expected to have a value of NT$300 billion in 2025.

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Housewife builds career as florist and flower arrangement teacher in midlife

Today we meet a flower arrangement teacher who created a new life for herself after the age of 40. Having spent her younger years as a housewife, Tai Su-chen decided to find work as a florist and then open her own flower arranging business. Despite not having access to large amounts of capital, and lacking confidence with digital tools, Tai found her own way to a successful career. Now, she has an online following with her live-streamed flower classes, and is even getting into acting.

Tai Su-chen picks up her floral shears and gets to work. With a few deft snips, the bouquet quickly emerges.

She spins the turntable, rapt in concentration, to find the best spot for the next stalk. After many years as a housewife, Tai’s love of flowers led her to find work as a florist for the first time at the age of 41.

Tai Su-chen
Flower arrangement teacher
I was about 41 when I went to work as a florist. I started learning how to buy stock, how to arrange the flowers, and how to think like a manager. Later I started to think that opening my own store was not the path for me, because that needs a large amount of capital. So I started to build my own business at home.

Tai spent a year studying many skills, getting to grips with everything from stock to managing costs, as well as the art of flower arrangement itself, and how to market herself with analogue methods.

Tai Su-chen
Flower arrangement teacher
We’re already at a certain age, so can’t really use digital products very much. We don’t know how to send out messages about the classes we’re giving. So it was a flyer I wrote myself and then took to get copied at the printer’s, and I took a whole stack of these posters around and put them into each house’s letterbox. And some communities have security who won’t let you post flyers, so we got turned away.

But setbacks didn’t daunt her. Obnoxious customers and rude students have done nothing to quench Tai’s spirit. She has continued to develop her skills, even starting to stream her work online and becoming – who would have thought it – an internet celebrity.

Tai has not let challenges keep her from giving her creative gifts to the world, finding the courage to step out of her comfort zone and create a whole new life.

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