From extra-curricular activities in junior high school where teachers dragged him to dance Latin, to becoming the first generation of Hong Kong's youth team and later key members in the national team, Sam and Michelle have won numerous awards. They now own three dance schools, with more than 1,000 students. All of these have been happening unexpectedly on only 34-year-old Ng Sum-chun, Sam and his other half, Lam Wai-yee, Michelle.

If you have seen Sam and Michelle's Latin dance performances, you would remember their expressions and passionate dance moves that captivate the audience. During the interview at their residence combined with dance studio in Fanling, cries of their baby could occasionally be heard. Time flies, both have changed from a shy teenager and quiet girl to parents of two children, instructors of students, judges in competitions, as well as owners of dance schools. However, what has not changed is their love for dance that remains unwavering.

Life Changed by the 2009 East Asian Games

From being selected as part of Hong Kong's first youth team in 2007 until their retirement in 2021, they have participated in numerous competitions in the danceSport world. These include major events like grandslams, world championships, World Cups, German Open, regional Asian Championships, and even larger-scale sports events such as the Asian Games, World Games, East Asian Games, and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Their dance studio in Fanling is filled with trophies and medals. When asked to choose their most unforgettable competition, Sam and Michelle thought carefully and selected the 5th East Asian Games held at their homeland in Hong Kong in 2009. They won a bronze medal in the Jive Single Dance category, and this competition has changed their lives.

Sam explained, "At that time, I was in my third year of university, and Michelle was an A-level student. We were at a crossroads in life. Should we find a regular job after graduation and practise dance only in our spare time? Or should we try to become full-time athletes? Our families and friends wanted us to find stable jobs and pursue dance as a hobby. Fortunately, the East Asian Games came along, and we were fortunate to win an award. When all our relatives and friends saw us standing on the podium with tears of joy in our eyes, their points of view changed. They felt that pursuing a career in danceSport may not be a bad option."

Passing Down Skills with No Regrets

Over the past 14 years of their athletic careers, they have experienced ups and downs of life. Looking back at his university life when he had to save up and work hard by doing seven part-time jobs a week to support his expenses in training and overseas competitions, Sam has no regrets with all the medals they have won in front of them (including the gold medal at the 2014 Asian Championships, silver medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, and gold medal at the 2018 Taiwan Sports Dance Festival). They now work as instructors and pass down their dance skills, with a belief that everything is worthwhile. That's why they both describe their journey as "having no regrets for this life."

"Even if we go bankrupt tomorrow, we still have no regrets. Since we started dancing in secondary school until now, there hasn't been a day when we didn't know what we were doing. We enjoy our career as dancers every single day. Whether we were athletes in the past or now as teachers and judges, every aspect of what we do is meaningful and valuable."

Their first victory at the Asian Championships in 2014 marked the starting point for them to train more successors. Sam smiled and said, "Before 2014, we always hovered around second or third place in the Asian Championships. Finally, in 2014, we became Asian champions, which greatly encouraged us. The following year in 2015, we opened the first studio, “Viva Dance”, in Sheung Wan, thinking that this business wouldn’t let her starve (pointing towards Michelle), so we moved on."

Breaking the Misconception that “Dancing doesn’t Make Money” 

They roughly estimate that they have nurtured at least 25 couples of Hong Kong Team members over the past eight years, and they have enjoyed doing this. "When I was an athlete, I enjoyed sharing my own stories and feelings with the audience on the competition field, which gave me a great sense of satisfaction; but it is even more satisfying for me to pass on my own skills to the young people, so that they can then pass them on to the next generation. They have also broken the misconception that "one can't make a living by dancing".

In the coming December, Hong Kong will organise the "DanceSport Hong Kong Open 2023," one of the largest danceSport competitions in Asia. Sam and Michelle will participate as adjudicators and are eagerly looking forward to it. Sam said, "When we first heard about that Hong Kong is hosting such a large-scale competition, we were thrilled. The skill level in Hong Kong has improved significantly in recent years, and through this competition, we can showcase it to the world. Many of our students will participate in this event, and we hope they will fully demonstrate their skills and compete with top dancers from around the world, bringing glory to Hong Kong.