NORTH ST PAUL, Minn. — Growing up, Lue Thao was a "shy, little boy." Then he found dance.
"It definitely built my confidence," Thao said. "I think with dance, I was able to come out of my shell."
Thao remembers his physical education teacher in elementary school showing the class back spins.
"I was like, 'Wow. I want to try,'" Thao recalled.
Cypher Side Dance School opened inside the Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center in 2017 and then moved into its current space in North St. Paul in 2021.
The dance school offers classes in breaking, hip hop and K-pop for ages three and up.
"I feel like it helps me better myself, especially mentally," said Harmony Lee, 17, of St. Paul.
Gabriella Reek, 16, has been dancing at Cypher Side for three months and said, "When I walked in the studio, everybody was so welcoming... It's like a family."
Thao not only teaches; he performs with the 1st Avenue Breakers. Recently, the group performed during a Timberwolves playoff game.
"I want to show the students, I'm still dancing too. So I'm still training; I'm still performing," Thao said.
Cypher Side's performance team also stepped onto the court in April for the Timberwolves' Asian American and Pacific Islander Night.
"I actually was born in Thailand. So just being over here and being able to represent our AAPI heritage has been super awesome," Thao said.
Angelie Her, 14, of St. Paul started doing traditional Hmong dancing. But after she realized it wasn't her thing, she found Cypher Side through relatives. She's been dancing at Cypher Side for the past seven years and was also part of their Timberwolves performance.
"It was really just like mind-blowing," Her said. "It's something that's unforgettable and I'm really appreciative of it."
Breaking is especially having a moment right now. In just a couple months, it will debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
"That's really awesome. I think it's cool," said 13-year-old Sachi Patel.
Cassidy Vang, 11, said what she loves most about dancing is, "expressing myself through the music and really just letting my body feel free."
Cypher Side's performance team will be dancing Sunday, May 26 at the Asian Phoenix Festival at Arbeiter Brewing Company in south Minneapolis. The festival includes food, music, performances and a craft market from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Cypher Side will also hold "The Ultimate Battle at Mall of America" on June 22 in the Huntington Bank Rotunda involving 200 competing dancers.
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