WHO IS ANISHA THAI ?
#diversity #inspire #empowerment
Anisha Thai is a Vietnamese-Comorian artist, who was born and raised in Paris, now based in Hong Kong. Thai has showcased her versatility across her dance and lifestyle content on social media and campaigns with globally accredited brands like Apple, Fenty Beauty, Tommy Hilfiger & NBA.
Thai is an ambassador for racial diversity - teaching live and virtual Afrodance classes and becoming the first African-Asian women to win Hong Kong TVB’s 2021 Competition Dance For Life. She has also featured as a contestant on Street Dance of China S5 (2022) and Netflix Asia’s reality show Let’s Feast Vietnam (2023).
“I want to share a message of hope and inspire young ladies to chase their dreams – you can be African and Asian, you can be an engineer and a dancer, anything is possible.”
Anisha Thai
PODCAST:
Anisha Thai | ...on being Black and Asian, living in Hong Kong and going viral
"Anisha Thai is a civil engineer and content creator who moved to HK 5 yrs ago from Paris. Join us as we talk to her about the motivation behind her engineering career and how that compares to her passion for dance. Plus she speaks very frankly about life in Hong Kong, internalised racism and navigating being both Black and Asian in a city that did not accept her in the way that she expected."
INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH ANISHA THAI
Interview with Oliver Sage
July 2020
Background
As someone with Vietnamese, Comorian, and French heritage, Anisha appreciates how her love for dance has carried her across the world, allowing her to explore new cultures and meet new people. Despite growing up in Paris, Anisha dreamt of a living an even more international lifestyle – “it was important for me to move away and challenge the way I thought.”
Inspiration
Now based in Hong Kong, Anisha is hoping to nurture the city’s budding Afro-dance community. “Life, similar to dance, is meant to be shared with other people. Helping them to grow, and as a result, developing yourself as well.”
“At this moment I just want to continue to inspire people, to help them realize they can do whatever they want as long as they stick to it and believe in themselves.”
A tried and tested trope of 21st century social discourse no doubt, but Anisha’s tone is sincere and carries weight. As someone who’s feet have quite literally taken her from Paris to London to Hong Kong, Anisha appreciates how far belief and determination can carry you. “I want to share a message of hope and inspire young ladies to chase their dreams – you can be African and Asian, you can be an engineer and a dancer, anything is possible.”
Art and Self
“When I dance on the street facial expressions are my way of letting people know I don’t care what they’re thinking, I’m just doing me and enjoying myself.”
Of all the mediums explored in ‘Unknown to You’, dance feels the most vulnerable and revealing. There is no abstraction between you and your art, no paintbrush or camera to transmit your feelings through, it’s simple you and your body. You have no choice but to be present and to do.
Anisha embraces this challenge wholeheartedly. Obviously, there are times when you are “stressed and under pressure” but, as Anisha so whimsically explains, “if you want to get there, you have to constantly keep that little voice in your mind on, you have to cultivate that belief.” A message worthy of any pursuit.
BEING MIXED - BLASIAN
Interview with Ryan Alex
March 2020
“it’s ok if you’re not accepted as long as you are aware of how special you are“ - @anishathai Mixed messages is back and in this episode we talk about forming our own country BLASIA™️ and @anishathai discusses her life as an Afro-Vietnamese growing up in Paris, France 🇫🇷
What is it to be Blasian ? - Mixed Black and Asian | Ryan Holmes & Anisha Thai
INSPIRE
Interview with @pixlofficialhk
Jan 2020
A civil engineer by day and a dancer during her free time, the beautiful and fun @anishathai is one hell of an inspiration! She became an Afro-dance phenomenon on IG after one of her videos was reposted by a famous artist and she’s been unstoppable since then. She’s just waiting for her call from @badgalriri now