BBA alum choreographs all the right career moves

Learn more about the Bachelor of Business Administration.

When Helen Dang arrived at Royal Roads University, she was seventeen years old, an international student from China, navigating a new country, language and culture.

“I remember writing my final exam while they were filming Descendants 3,” Dang, now a BBA alum, says of her time at Royal Roads. “I could hear the music outside and thought, ‘One day, I want to be in that movie.’”

A decade later, Dang is in Vancouver filming a Disney movie, a full circle moment seeing her return to BC for the project.

Dang has blended her Canadian experience with her Asian culture and heritage to create artistic performances that showcase all aspects of her identity. Her life experiences are imbued her work, Royal Roads included. 

“If I didn’t come to Royal Roads for five years, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” she says. “It shaped my mindset, my leadership, my courage. It gave me the foundation to dream bigger.”

Dang's time at RRU began in the Global Learning and Language Centre, surrounded by fellow Chinese students, but quickly realized that real growth required stepping beyond the familiar, and having the courage to do so. 

“I joined a dance studio where no one else was Chinese. It was terrifying. But I knew I had to push myself,” Dang says. “People thought I didn’t speak because I was so quiet. But I was just trying to figure everything out.”

That leap into the unknown helped her develop not only her language skills but her confidence. She immersed herself in Canadian culture, learned the nuances of communication, and discovered her passion for dance.

 Dance became my way of connecting. It’s something that language can’t do.

The courage to step outside her comfort zone is a defining trait of Dang’s throughout her Royal Roads years and beyond. She learned communication, trust, and leadership skills in her group projects and presentations as part of her Bachelor of Business Administration degree. 

“We split tasks, trusted each other, and made sure to enjoy the process—snacks included,” she laughs. “That’s where I learned how to lead.”

After graduation, Dang leveraged this learning to fuel her artistry. “It [BBA] wasn’t just about business. I learned I could approach things differently—add purpose, add heart.”

The blend of purpose and art resulted in Dang’s Revenge of the Black Widow, a short dance film that fuses hip hop, martial arts, acting, and her Chinese heritage. 

“Everything I am, I put into that film,” she says. “Mandarin, Cantonese, martial arts, hip hop—it’s all there. I held onto authenticity and culture. That’s what made it resonate.” 

The film won both the audience choice and jury awards at Vancouver’s Innovate Dance Showcase 2024, and while Dang is excited by these honours, she is even more grateful for the inspiration it sparks in others: "Dancers I've never met come up to me and say it inspired them to be proud of who they are. That's the biggest award I could ever receive."

Dang is expanding her craft to focus on acting in addition to dance and martial arts. It’s another moment of pushing beyond her comfort zone – seeking projects that are not primarily dance-focused. 

“It’s scary because it’s brand new,” she admits. “But I’m so excited for it.”

And she’s excited for audiences to continue to engage with the arts, even if – perhaps especially if – they feel it’s frivolous in a time when the world is facing huge challenges. 

“We don’t dance because the world is perfect—we dance because it’s not,” Dang says. “We dance to stay alive inside. Art isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity for the soul.”

With a well-choreographed approach to dance, and life, Dang will continue to lead with courage and creativity, reminding us that anything is possible. Her advice to young artists and international students? 

“Step outside your comfort zone. That’s where the growth is. That’s where the magic happens.”

Learn more about the Bachelor of Business Administration.