truong nom nom

happy 3rd birthday, Emi. family movie night in the hot tub never...

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:44:50 +0800

happy 3rd birthday, Emi. family movie night in the hot tub never gets old

family bbq at my cool aunt and uncle’s place, such a sick...

Mon, 27 May 2013 06:40:27 +0800

family bbq at my cool aunt and uncle’s place, such a sick backyard #socal @nmtruong @britneytruong

crazy semester, not too sure how I would’ve gotten through...

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:19:05 +0800

crazy semester, not too sure how I would’ve gotten through it without my wings keepin me up. last night chillen on the rooftop, miss these guys already #trippin #pideltapsi #nextgen #biglittle #paperman #drzl #glox @zheng7bheng @greglocsin

post-EDC soul displacement

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:37:00 +0800

post-EDC soul displacement

best way to end the semester, wanna go back to this moment...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:51:07 +0800

best way to end the semester, wanna go back to this moment @kbowww #edc #edcny (at EDC NY)

some rooftop picnic grillin’ on this fine New York day...

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:39:51 +0800

some rooftop picnic grillin’ on this fine New York day #grillmaster #RAlyfe @schmiaaa @chyti_kompala (at NYU Rubin Residence Hall)

shake shack date with my sloppy ho residents #shakeshack...

Sun, 12 May 2013 03:48:49 +0800

shake shack date with my sloppy ho residents #shakeshack #sloppyhoes #RAlyfe @natalieeburges @kayesnowden @isabelabede @rebeccatess (at Shake Shack)

InfatuationChoreographed by Raina EnandSong: Marry Me by...

Tue, 07 May 2013 23:01:44 +0800

Infatuation
Choreographed by Raina Enand
Song: Marry Me by Train
Danced by Saskia Kivilo, Joe Forzano, Chantel Williams, and Jesse Truong
Performed at EPIC Motion Dance Company’s Spring Showcase: Reflections
Recorded by Mr. Bow

LOL and the moments that made my directors, fellow dancers, and myself most proud was my attempt at contemporary for this showcase. I definitely wanted to challenge myself and try a style that I don’t entirely feel comfortable in. I remember while working with Raina, I would always attempt to point my toes and be pretty and she always challenged me to be myself and to put my own personality in it and to stop trying to fit what I thought I had to do.

In the end, this was one of my favorite performances ever and this showing was the best that my partner Chantel and I did it except the part when I dropped her. Colored couples for the win lol. Thank you Raina for giving me this opportunity and for everyone who pushed me to not just dance but to perform.

Midnight & Street LightsChoreography by Jesse TruongSong:...

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:03:00 +0800

Midnight & Street Lights
Choreography by Jesse Truong
Song: Street Lights by Kanye West
Danced by Jeff Aguilar, Jeric Areans, Kristian Nacional, Esosa Oviasu, Jesse Truong, and Caleb Yoon
Performed at EPIC Motion’s Spring Showcase: Reflections
Recorded by Mr. Bow

MY LONG STORY: I like to brag that I’m one of the oldest remaining members of EPIC Motion Dance Company at the moment just finishing my 5th season marked by the closing night of our showcase. In reality though, I’m embarrassed and insecure that I’ve been on this team and yet I haven’t grown as much as I’ve seen my fellow dancers grow. So many of them have come and gone and moved on, but I’ve always just been stagnantly chillin in EPIC. I’ve been offered Jr. Artistic Director more than once but never believed in myself. How could I choreograph besides Shoey Sun, Kris Seto, Mark Garcia, Mikey Patlingrao, Chantel Williams, Michelle Lee, Jason “Boogie” Santana, among other Artistic Directors that I’ve all looked up to? So I stayed stagnant, I took Finance Director so I could keep dancing on the team but not really have to challenge myself, not really have to take a risk.

When EPIC decided to leave the competition circuit and focus on our showcase, I was skeptic and scared. Returners were asked to step up as choreographers, of course only if they wanted to. As a veteran and younger dancer, I felt that I had to. Concepts came and left my mind but with Reflections as our theme, I chose self-reflection to be my inspiration. It is those moments where you get to yourself at midnights under street lights and with your headphones drowning out the rest of the world that you really get to think, you really get to reflect, process, and grow from it. And with that I ran with it. This was my first time doing a real project so choreography was a struggle as I tried to match the choreo with my concept. Teaching and leading was interesting but I had an awesome group of guys to work with for my first time (Kristian Nacional, Caleb Yoon, Esosa Oviasu, Jeric Arenas, and Jeff Aguilar). Performing it came slowly as we each had to find our own reasons and meaning behind our self-reflections.

And here I’m left with the final product. I know it’s not the best work but it’s mine and I’m very proud. I feel so accomplished but I’m also so thankful and grateful. I’m thankful for the guys in my piece for dealing with my shit as a choreographer (lagging behind and unclear with my choreo and concept), I’m thankful for my company members who supported me and shared their constructive criticisms, I’m thankful for the directors and my mentor for giving me this opportunity that I would otherwise not have had, I’m thankful to the friends that came out to support me and my company, and I’m sure there are many others I need to thank but I’m caught up in emotions and a post-showcase high right now.

After the showcase as I spoke about the directors, I realized that this never would have happened if I hadn’t been given this opportunity. I would’ve stayed stagnant, I had no idea when I would get the courage to step up as an Artistic Director and to be the future of this team. And I just felt grateful and blessed to have had the chance to share my work under the EPIC name. Small tears, nothing much. Shoey Sun was the first director I looked up to. She was there the first season I was accepted into EPIC, she was there pretty much since the beginning of my real dance career. Hearing her share with me how much she has seen me grow and how proud I made a founder of EPIC took me down so hard. Boogie was my mentor this season and is a huge role model for a lot of us and for me especially as a male dancer and he has these huge gorilla arms that swallow you when you hug him and as he squeezed and told me that he was proud of me, I realized that I’m proud of myself and that I could step up and grow. Tears everywhere… Friends shared their pride and admiration for my work. Past directors and fellow dancers all of which I look up to generous enough to share their thoughts with me meant so much. And I just can’t stop sitting and reflecting on myself as a dancer this past weekend, this past season and these past years and it just means so much.

in the middle of @epicmotion showcase right now, too proud of...

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:39:16 +0800

in the middle of @epicmotion showcase right now, too proud of this team, must Instagram now

finally some good weather in NY, pre-showcase meal #epicmotion...

Sun, 05 May 2013 02:04:22 +0800

finally some good weather in NY, pre-showcase meal #epicmotion #selfiecity

omfg, my body, my heart, and my mind right now…

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:06:20 +0800

omfg, my body, my heart, and my mind right now…

gotdamn it, i don’t even know where my soul is anymore

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:25:02 +0800

gotdamn it, i don’t even know where my soul is anymore

prepping for this weekend at ASOT600 :O D# Fat

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 06:06:25 +0800

prepping for this weekend at ASOT600 :O

D# Fat

#RAlyfe

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 23:36:12 +0800

resident: Oh hey Jesse, she has like 4 mutual friends with you but I only have 1
me: Wait, you guys went on my Facebook?
resident: Yeah
me: Actually that's fine, everything is private though right?
resident: Mmmhm... except for your Zedd pictures
me: O_O
resident: You look like you had fun

just gotta listen to it Blue Ocean Floor - Justin Timberlake

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:20:37 +0800

just gotta listen to it

Blue Ocean Floor - Justin Timberlake

one of the cleanest i’ve seen in a while

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:50:39 +0800

one of the cleanest i’ve seen in a while

how I brunk in cali #ayce #kbbq #steak (at Gen Korean BBQ &...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 06:14:16 +0800

how I brunk in cali #ayce #kbbq #steak (at Gen Korean BBQ & Yakitori Bar)

can’t not miss a home like this, jacuzzi backyard movie...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:52:29 +0800

can’t not miss a home like this, jacuzzi backyard movie night on a spring night in cali (cred: @nmtruong)

can’t help it

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:44:00 +0800

can’t help it