Cissy with husband Daran, supporting my children’s book “Mixed Heritage”
Q#1: Are you a Bay Area Native? and if not, how long have you lived in the Bay? Cissy: I grew up in L.A. county, in a very small city ironically named Hawaiian Gardens. Ironic because I grew up in this city which does not resemble anything close to Hawaii or a Garden. It’s a small barrio where everyone knew you. I’ve lived in the Bay Area since 1987.
Q#2: When did you start on the creative path you are currently on? Cissy: Honestly, I was at Cerritos Community College in So.Cal. That’s when I knew that I wanted to be a public school teacher and loving nothing else but dance, it was an easy decision. I wanted to be a dance educator and I took the necessary steps to make my goal a reality.
Q#3: Where do you find your inspiration? Cissy: From all over and everywhere. The last big piece I did was about the 10 women I trained with to complete the Na Wahine O Ke Kai Molokai Challenge. The training experience was extremely emotional Q#3: Where do you find your inspiration? and I wanted to convey the insanity of the year long commitment and the magic we made in the process of training and completing the race. I find inspiration in my students all of the time.
Q#4: What was the first piece of vinyl you ever purchased? Cissy: Wow! I think it was That’s the Way of the World by Earth, Wind and Fire. I remember sitting by my record player listening to that album over and over again. Wooo, I’m dating myself.
Q#5: Anything else you’d like to share? a joke/quote? Cissy: Yes, the majority of kids today have very little experience with dance. If you love dance take the opportunities to go into the schools and teach what you love. As crazy as it can be to work with kids, they are the future of dance and only when they have been exposed to the possibilities of movement will we receive new and innovative art that speaks to all of us.
this is Malia 