Jessica Jone

Folk dance fan and a pair of handkerchiefs
There are many different styles of fan dances in China. This is a simple fan I use when teaching. The handkerchiefs are used in northeastern Chinese folk dance (dong bei yang ge). They are usually red, a colour that is a symbol of luck and prosperity in Chinese culture.

Folk dance shoes
These are the shoes we use when doing folk dances, and they are the most comfortable teaching shoes I have. I can teach for eight hours in them and not have any issues. 

iPod and iPad
When I started as a teaching assistant to my mother, Lorita Leung, we used cassettes. Later we graduated to CDs, and now I can’t imagine teaching without my iPod. Playlists are a dance teacher’s best friend. I also use my iPad quite a bit in the studio, to check something from the Beijing Dance Academy Syllabus, for example, or to help my students learn more about Chinese dance culture by showing them traditional costumes or giving them a geographical context of a particular region.

Filofax
Although I have many electronic devices, I still prefer to use my Filofax when it comes to organizing my personal and work life. I find it much easier to have everything laid out in front of me. Plus I love stationery!

Thermos
I always drink hot tea or hot water when I teach. On eight-hour teaching days, I sip honey lemon water to minimize throat irritation.

Hand cream
I wash my hands after every class, so I need to apply hand cream regularly to keep my hands from cracking. L’Occitane is my favourite.

Notebook
This was the notebook I used during my most recent teachers training program at the Beijing Dance Academy. I often refer to it while teaching my students.

Lululemon duffle bag
I love the size of this bag and how many pockets and compartments it has.

“Noodle” prop
This is a prop I created for a dance that I’m choreographing on my younger students. It is meant to be noodles, like the fresh noodles (la mian) that Chinese chefs pull.

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Artistic director of the Lorita Leung Dance Company and principal of the Lorita Leung Dance Academy in Vancouver, Jone packs her dancebag with things to help her get through her busy day teaching and performing Chinese dance.

The Lorita Leung Dance Company will be presenting a showcase of Chinese classical, folk and contemporary dance at The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! series on March 10th in Vancouver.