When you go away to college, there are many things you leave behind, whether those are memories of sitting in the bleachers cheering for your high school football team or awkward class photos or even just your mom’s homemade chocolate chip pancakes. But then there are those vital parts of your identity that you will always carry with you. It’s easy to feel lost on a campus as large as BU’s, but if you can take comfort in knowing where you came from, adjusting can be a lot more fluid. For Brian Chin (SMG ’12), his Chinese roots have always been an essential part of him in the form of a hobby that has grown into even more of a passion since coming to BU. Since the 7th grade, Brian has been performing the Chinese yo-yo, a popular art in China and Taiwan.
Brian picked up the art after a friend introduced him to it in middle school. Soon after, Brian was teaching the sport at his local Chinese school and participating in events such as the statewide American Chinese Association yo-yo competition. During this competition, he received first place in the doubles category in 2006 and 2008, and in the singles in 2007. However, Brian’s enthusiasm didn’t falter after coming to BU; he beat out 24 other gifted contestants in BU’s Got Talent as a freshman. Since then, Brian has performed at campus events such as the Chinese Student Association’s annual Moonlight Ball, the Sensasian Cultural Show, BUTASA’s Nightmarket, as well as events at surrounding schools such as MIT, Harvard, and Northeastern.
When talking about his art, it is evident that Brian is as committed to it as he was back home in Holmdel, New Jersey. “Performing is my passion. I really enjoy when the audience smiles watching my performance and has a good time”, he says about showcasing his talent. However, satisfying the audience isn’t the only reward Brian gets out of performing; his study of Chinese yo-yo has given him confidence, rhythm, and better hand-eye coordination.
Performances typically tell a story and take the audience on a journey. For example, Brian’s performance at the Moonlight Ball in 2009 followed the story of Mulan and involved many backup dancers. In fact, choreography is a large part of performing the yo-yo, one of the many givebacks to Brian’s vast performing experience.
Brian will be performing at Northeastern’s A Night in Asia event on Friday October 28th at 6:30 p.m.
To watch his past performances, check out Brian’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Destinyflame5892.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.