Emilee Chew-Bien Mercado

Outreach & Education Director, Co-Founder

  • My belly always has extra room for Mien food because it reminds me of my culture and how much love my family shares through food.

  • 1. Exploring foreign countries.

    2. Dreaming of DIY projects (because I never actually make time to do them).

    3. Maintaining my Duolingo streak.

  • Anything but the dab. My little brother always beats me in dance battles with that one.

  • "28, 45, 53, 56, 69 + 20, drawn on 11/05/2022." Younger self will know what to do.

Emilee, a dance aficionado with a foot in every groove – from modern-contemporary to jazz and hip-hop. Her dance journey kickstarted at Infinite Motion of Laguna Creek High (2008-2011), where she went from novice twirler to choreographic maestro.

Her dance fever hit its peak at the Hawkins School of Performing Arts (2014-2023), where she not only taught but practically invented the "hip-hop shuffle." In the meantime, she was on a mission to make dance as accessible as a TikTok tutorial, spreading her passion to Title I schools (2016-2020) and turning CLARA Studios for the Performing Arts into her personal dance revolution headquarters (2019-2023).  But Emilee's heart doesn't just belong to dance floors; it's also tied to the community. She's practically the mastermind behind cultural events with names as cool as her moves: O.N.L.Y. All-styles (2012-2015), RVR (2016-2023), and Night Walker Sessions (2019).

These days, Emilee's in charge, running the show as a program manager at NorCal School of the Arts (since June 2023), while still sneaking in a few killer moves as their resident choreographer (since 2021).  And when she's not orchestrating dance revolutions, Emilee's partner in crime, Edric, and their mini-mover, Eleanor, join her in savoring life's rhythm.