For decades, Maria Mimie Ho put Vancouver Chinatown’s dancers through their paces, at the Strathcona Chinese Dance Company, which she founded, and at the annual Lunar New Year Spring Festival Parade, which she helped establish as a lasting tradition over 50 years ago. A lifelong educator who immigrated to Canada in 1967, Maria was a perfectionist who led by example — and who demanded a great deal of her three daughters, Anabel, Val “Ms Vee” and Lisa. When Maria passed away, it fell on their shoulders to maintain her legacy and keep the show on the road…
Jon Chiang’s lovely documentary is both a glowing tribute to a community legend and a sympathetic, sad and funny look at how hard it is to live up to such exacting expectations. Featuring dazzling choreography and fascinating local archival material, this is the perfect movie with which to bring in the lunar new year.
Jon Chiang
Anabel Ho, Val Ho, Lisa Ho
Canada
2025
English
Coarse language
Open to youth
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits
Executive Producer
Lynn Booth, Tiffany Hsiung
Producer
Joanna Wong, Jon Chiang
Screenwriter
Jon Chiang
Cinematography
Peter Planta
Editor
Coline Debray
Original Music
Brian Chan, Caleb Chan
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