Ms. Chinatown 2020 Cassandra Chan vows to represent all Chinoys in a good light
In an exclusive interview with Village Pipol, 25-year-old reigning Ms. Chinatown 2020 Cassandra Chan shared that her journey goes beyond just winning the title. Contrary to people’s expectations, the work is not exactly cut out for her already.
There is more to earning a prestigious title, according to Cassandra. Before bagging the crown, her endeavors were meaningful, somehow leading and guiding her to this moment.
Cassandra is a professional ballet dancer and teacher from San Juan City. She graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Visual Communication from the University of the Philippines Diliman last 2017. She spent 18 years training as a classical ballet dancer in the “Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet” and grew up working diligently in her craft. Her passion and dedication for dancing multiplied as she represented the Philippines in various training intensives abroad. There, she attended dance competitions and performed both locally and internationally in countries such as China and the United States.
“As a teacher, my advocacy lies closely with children. I’ve collaborated with “The Heart at Play Foundation”, an NGO that offers dance movement therapy classes to children with special needs. There, I developed a “Home Dance Movement Kit” for the families of the organization. “
Currently, she is working closely with the Cerebral Palsy Group of the Philippines to bring dance classes to their families while working part-time as a model for Mercator Model Management and Empire TV.
She takes it as her duty to represent all Chinoys in a good light. As an advocate of the #RISE movement, she is working closely with the Mr. and Ms. Chinatown organization and Chinoy TV to support the various advocacies and organizations as well as her own. With her talent as a dance teacher, she aims to bring awareness to the physical health of young students across the nation during the pandemic.
“Hopefully organizing and conducting more virtual and social-distanced dance classes over the course of this lockdown will improve the health and well-being of children. As a dance teacher for more than 10 years, I know the importance of physical and mental wellness in children and I plan to emphasize this idea well into my reign. Together with my court and Mr. Chinatown 2020, Justin Yap of Tacloban City, I aim to make a mark in the community as a Ms. Chinatown 2020 who rises above the expectations.”
Photographer | Charvin Valdez Torne
Creative Direction & Style | Shandy Montecarlo Lim
Hair and Make-up | Jessie Maghuyop
Lights Man |Rob Maca
