Meet our 2026 cohort and follow along on their journey!
AADF recognizes the importance of supporting our local artists. We believe it is essential to provide a space for early to mid-career AAPI dance artists to not only present work, but also explore their unique identities, collaborate with one another, and engage with the AAPI community in a supportive environment.
Photos; Hana Tobias,JDP Designs, Howie Wong
Residency Projects Coming Up
Mālama Pono: Care Through Culture
Mālama Pono is a Hawaiian phrase meaning “take care,” “be well,” or “take good care of yourself and others.” It reminds us to nurture, preserve, and maintain balance (pono) in our lives, relationships, and environment. We ask: How does taking care show up in your practice? How do you use your artistry to care for yourself and others?
A culmination of the collabortive work between AADF residents and MindFull Movement's spoken word artists, this project brings together the artists with cultural practitioners to explore Mālama Pono through performance, dialogue, and creative practice. Each piece is a reflection, an offering, and an invitation to witness and engage. Together, we cultivate a space where art, care, and community intersect.
Mālama Pono: Care Through Culture
Saturday, May 9th @ 6:30pm
Oceanside Museum of Art
FREE event!
*This is part of a larger festival presented by 'Umeke that takes place May 9th-10th, and includes water and surf events at the Oceanside Harbor and beach. More info about the festival.
Meet the 2026 Cohort
Hannah Joo - Resident
Hannah 하연 Joo is a second-generation Korean American artist, program builder, and educator based in Tovaangar (traditional Tongva/Gabrielino lands aka Los Angeles). Hannah has performed throughout Southern California, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York with Courtyard Dancers, Agora Dance, Donna Sternberg & Dancers, BrockusRED, Mia Moraru, and Alice Lousen & Co, and they are currently a member of the 고은춤 무용단 Goeun Traditional Korean Dance Company. As a solo artist, Hannah's movement practice explores the transmutation of grieving, mourning, and funeral rituals in the Korean diaspora as a source for resistance, mobilization, and collective liberation.
IG: @h.h_joo
Forest Lee - Resident
Forest Lee (they/them) is a queer dance artist and political organizer, residing on Kumeyaay land. They began their dance education at the age of 3, and danced competitively up to the age of 18, when they signed with Bloc LA Talent Agency. Forest has been fortunate enough to work with music artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Doechii. Alongside their commercial dance career, Forest strives to use movement art and dance as tools for collective healing, liberation, and investigation of topics such as identity, connection, and the human experience as a whole. They worked with Joyce Lien Kushner for Asian American Dance Festival in 2025, Erik James for Disco Riot in 2025, and most recently have worked with Christopher K Morgan and his company dancers in 2025 for his piece "Native Intelligence/Innate Intelligence." Forest is deeply passionate about teaching and sharing their love of dance as well. They deeply informed by their work as an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and are dedicated to fighting for a world in which all people have the right to live dignified, happy, and healthy lives. Forest views art, especially dance, as an integral component for achieving the world we all deserve.
IG: @_forestlee
Photo: Lindsay Rosenberg Photography
Deanna Magpali - Intern
My name is Deanna Magpali, 24, a Chula Vista local and I am an entry-level dancer with on-and-off experience since 2019. Before graduating from SDSU in 2023, I took workshops and joined several exhibition teams. I most recently have been a member of San Diego’s Sweet Dreams Dance Company under the team Candy Melts, a beginner-intermediate exhibition team for adults. In my professional development, I am actively seeking experience in positions that involve marketing, event coordination, and administrative tasks as my experience and interest to date has been in this work.
IG: @dkrysm_
Our 2026 Partners & Sponsors
