1, 2, 3!

ALL: "BARE FEET"!

I'M A DANCER, AND I'M A TRAVELER, AND WHEREVER I GO, I EXPERIENCE THE WORLD ONE DANCE AT A TIME.

I'M MICKELA MALLOZZI, AND THIS IS "BARE FEET."

"BARE FEET" IS FUNDED IN PART BY... ANNOUNCER: ROAD SCHOLAR, OFFERING EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL ADVENTURES FOR ADULTS SINCE 1975.

ANNOUNCER: ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN THROUGH THE YUEN FOUNDATION, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

...THESE GENEROUS SUPPORTERS.

ANNOUNCER: AND BY THE ANN H. SYMINGTON FOUNDATION.

MALLOZZI: THE CHINESE AND KOREAN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN FLUSHING, QUEENS, ARE SOME OF THE LARGEST IN NEW YORK CITY WITH FLUSHING'S CHINATOWN BEING THE FASTEST GROWING CHINATOWN IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF ASIA.

ON THIS "BARE FEET" IN NYC ADVENTURE, I DIVE RIGHT IN TO GET A TASTE OF WHAT THIS ROBUST AND VIBRANT ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY MEANS HERE IN FLUSHING, QUEENS.

MY FIRST STOP IN FLUSHING IS TO THE KOREAN COMMUNITY SERVICES, OR KCS, FLUSHING NEIGHBORHOOD SENIOR CENTER TO DANCE WITH SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS KOREAN DANCING LADIES IN ALL OF NEW YORK CITY, THE KCS SENIOR DANCE TEAM.

[DISCO MUSIC PLAYING] MALLOZZI: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN KCS DANCE TEAM?

OH, MY GOSH.

YES.

THAT'S AMAZING.

[SPEAKING KOREAN] [APPLAUSE] [INDISTINCT CHATTER] MALLOZZI: GAMSAHAMNIDA.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

WOMAN: THIS SENIOR CENTER COOK FRESH KOREAN MEAL.

MALLOZZI: ONE OF THE FEW.

YEAH.

YEAH.

VERY FEW.

MAYBE IT'S GOING TO BE ONLY ONE.

WOW.

OUR SENIORS, THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.

THEY COME HERE TO HAVE THIS NUTRITIOUS MEAL.

WHEN OUR SENIORS GET HEALTHY BY HAVING THIS FOOD, FAMILIES HAPPY.

MMM.

COMMUNITY'S HAPPY.

EVERYONE IS HAPPY.

SO THIS MEAL IS VERY IMPORTANT.

TELL US HOW OLD EVERYBODY IS HERE IN GENERAL.

WOMAN: 60-85.

WOW!

YEAH.

SURPRISING, RIGHT?

YEAH!

EVERYONE LOOKS SO YOUNG, AND IT'S BECAUSE DANCE KEEPS YOU YOUNG, RIGHT?

MM-HMM, MM-HMM.

YOU LADIES COME HERE-- THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

TWICE A WEEK.

YOU HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER...

YES.

AND THEN YOU DANCE TOGETHER.

YES.

WE LIKE A FAMILY.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER] BOOM!

OK. BOOM.

HA.

BOOM.

YEAH.

HEY!

OK. BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

OK, OK. OK.

I GOT IT.

HIGH-FIVE!

BONEY M.: ♪ SUNNY ♪ ♪ YESTERDAY, MY LIFE WAS FILLED WITH RAIN ♪ VERY PROUD.

AND IS THAT WHY THE COSTUME?

WOMAN: YEAH, YEAH.

[SPEAKING KOREAN] BONEY M.: ♪ MY SUNNY ONE SHINES SO SINCERE ♪ ♪ SUNNY ONE SO TRUE, I LOVE YOU ♪ ♪ SUNNY ♪ DANCE KEEPS YOU ALL YOUNG.

IT KEEPS YOU ALL VERY YOUNG.

I TRY TO MAKE YOUNG.

YES!

BONEY M.: ♪ I LOVE YOU ♪ HEY!

YAY!

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: A HIDDEN TREASURE IN FLUSHING IS THE HANMAUM ZEN CENTER OF NEW YORK, THE LARGEST TRADITIONAL KOREAN BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN THE STATE.

ANGELO, YOU WERE THE LEAD ARCHITECT FOR THIS.

TELL US WHAT IT TOOK--HA!

IT TOOK PATIENCE.

HA!

THE MAIN TEMPLE IS DONE BY THE MASTER CARPENTER.

MM-HMM.

HE'S ACTUALLY A NATIONAL TREASURE IN KOREA.

WOW!

THERE'S NOT A SCREW, A NAIL, AN ANCHOR, A CHUNK OF CONCRETE, NOTHING THAT IS KEEPING THIS BUILDING IN PLACE OTHER THAN ITS WEIGHT.

IT'S REALLY LIKE ONE OF THOSE WOODEN PUZZLES THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER THAT ARE--THE LAST PIECE GOES IN, AND IT LOCKS UP.

WOW!

EACH ONE IS INTERLOCKED WITH THE OTHER.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: IT TOOK ABOUT 15 YEARS TO COMPLETE THE TEMPLE FROM PREPARATION AND PLANNING TO THE END OF CONSTRUCTION IN 2016.

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THE CENTER HAS LET US COME HERE.

WE CAN ONLY SHOW ONE PART OF THE INSIDE.

IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

THE COLORS.

COSTA: EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE LEAD ARCHITECT HERE, THERE WERE ARTISANS, CRAFTSMEN.

ALL OF THIS IS HAND-PAINTED.

THE PAINTINGS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE ON THE OUTSIDE, THE HISTORY OF BUDDHA'S LIFE, YOU'D SEE THEM SITTING CROSS-LEGGED ON THE SCAFFOLD PAINTING WITH TINY, LITTLE BRUSHES FOR YEARS!

IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU'RE WATCHING MICHELANGELO.

IT REALLY IS REMARKABLE THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO IT, THE ARTISTRY THAT WENT INTO IT.

MALLOZZI, VOICE-OVER: I MEET WITH HYEBONG SUNIM, A BUDDHIST NUN WHO HELPED MAKE THIS TEMPLE A REALITY.

MY CREW AND I WERE GRACIOUSLY GIVEN PERMISSION BY HYEBONG TO VISIT AND FILM HERE, A FIRST FOR THE CENTER.

I JUST WANT TO SAY FIRST THANK YOU, GAMSAHAMNIDA, FOR LETTING US COME.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU AND ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY TO BRING A PIECE OF THE CULTURE, OF YOUR PRACTICE, AND HAVE IT LIVE HERE IN QUEENS?

[MAN SPEAKING KOREAN] COSTA: WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY TO EVERYONE HERE IN NEW YORK, STOP, BREATHE, TAKE A MOMENT, AND APPRECIATE WHAT REALLY IS VALUABLE IN THIS LIFE.

RIGHT.

TEARS.

"HOW DO WE DO THIS?

HOW DO WE DO THIS?"

HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW THAT IT'S HERE?

HA HA HA!

YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE.

YES, IT DOES.

MALLOZZI: FROM THE PEACEFUL HIDEAWAY AT THE TEMPLE, I HEAD BACK TO THE BUSTLING NEIGHBORHOOD OFF MAIN STREET TO THE GLOW COMMUNITY CENTER ON 41st AVENUE.

I MEET WITH GARTURE LI, DIRECTOR OF GLOW.

LI: THE MISSION OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS TO ENRICH COMMUNITY LIFE THROUGH EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL PROGRAMMING.

BEING IN THE HEART OF FLUSHING, WE SERVE A LOT OF OUR LOCAL CHINESE-SPEAKING, A LOT OF ASIAN-SPEAKING FAMILIES, AND WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE ARTS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

I'VE BEEN LION DANCING FOR 20 YEARS.

WHOA.

MY FATHER ALSO LEARNED FROM HIS MASTER BACK IN HONG KONG.

WE'RE GONNA PLAY CURIOUS LION, AND WE'RE GONNA USE THIS LETTUCE AS A PROP.

WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, QUESTION IT, CHECK WITH THE AUDIENCE, LOOK AT IT SOME MORE.

THE LETTUCE REPRESENTS FORTUNE-- GREEN FOR MONEY-- AND ALSO THE WORD LETTUCE AND THE WORD GREEN IN CHINESE SOUND VERY SIMILAR TO THE WORD FORTUNE IN CHINESE.

HAVE THE LION RESTING ON THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD THERE.

YOU'RE GONNA SLOWLY BUILD INTEREST.

OK. YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT, YOU'RE GONNA GET MORE AND MORE CURIOUS.

MIGHT WANT TO TOUCH IT A LITTLE BIT BUT BE TOO SCARED TO TOUCH IT.

BACK AWAY.

ALL RIGHT.

IT LOOKS YUMMY!

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!

TYPICALLY, THE LION, UH, WOULD HAVE TWO PEOPLE, ONE IN THE HEAD AND ONE IN THE TAIL, AND THE TAIL ACTS AS THE BACK LEGS OF THE LION.

RIGHT.

OK?

DO YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR BACK LEGS?

YEAH, SURE.

MICKELA, YOU READY?

I'M READY!

LET'S GO!

[DRUMS PLAYING] CAN ANYBODY COME HERE AS A LOCAL TO TAKE CLASSES?

ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH.

WE HAVE MEMBERSHIPS FOR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS.

OUR COMMUNITY CENTER IS GEARED TOWARDS FAMILIES WITH KIDS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM THE AREA WHO WANT A PLACE TO, YOU KNOW, COME TOGETHER, LEARN TOGETHER, AND HAVE FUN TOGETHER.

WHOO!

GOOD JOB!

YES!

IT'S HARD BEING THE TAIL.

HIGH-FIVE!

GOOD JOB, GOOD JOB.

MALLOZZI: I'M GETTING A TASTE OF SOME OF THE REST OF THE PROGRAMS OFFERED AT THE GLOW COMMUNITY CENTER, CONTINUING WITH A GUZHENG LESSON WITH JUDY YEH.

[PLAYING TRADITIONAL CHINESE MUSIC] YEH: THE GUZHENG IS THE SECOND OLDEST STRING INSTRUMENT OF CHINESE.

WOW!

IT HAS 2,500 YEARS OF HISTORY.

OH, MY GOSH.

THE GUZHENG IS SET IN PENTATONIC SCALE.

[PLAYS 5-NOTE SCALE] AND THEN DO, RE, MI, SOL, LA AGAIN.

MM-HMM.

WE CAN DO SOME INTERVALS.

WITH ONE STRING IN BETWEEN.

YES.

VERY GOOD.

[PLAYS INTERVALS] YES.

♪ LA SOL MI RE DO ♪ ♪ MI RE DO LA SOL ♪ ♪ SOL ♪ WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO BE ABLE TO TEACH THIS INSTRUMENT?

WHEN I COME TO NEW YORK, I FIND THERE ARE SO MANY KIDS, THEY LOVE THEIR CULTURE, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW BEAUTIFUL THEIR INSTRUMENT IS.

MM-HMM.

[SINGING MELODY] [PLAYING GLISSANDOS] WOW!

YAY!

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU, JUDY.

THIS IS SO FUN.

MALLOZZI: NEXT, I TRY DIABOLO, ALSO KNOWN AS CHINESE YO-YO, WITH GRAHAM LO.

HA!

HE MAKES IT LOOK SO EASY.

HEY!

YEAH.

SO PEOPLE ACTUALLY CONFUSE CHINESE YO-YO AND DIABOLO.

DIABOLO--I THINK THAT NAME COMES FROM EUROPE, ACTUALLY.

THEY STARTED MAKING IT DIFFERENTLY TO THE WAY WE SEE IT.

YOU KNOW, WITH SOFT PLASTIC, YOU KNOW, LED LIGHTS.

SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S THE SAME THING, BUT THE WAY I SEE IT, CHINESE YO-YO'S JUST LIKE THE OLDER VERSION.

SO TO START THE YO-YO, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GET IT SPINNING.

MM-HMM, AND THEN KEEP YOUR HANDS CLOSE TOGETHER.

YEAH.

YOU GOT IT.

GO.

UP AND DOWN.

THERE YOU GO.

YOU GOT IT SPINNING.

YOU SEE HOW THERE'S A LOOP IN THERE BECAUSE WE LOOPED IT BEFORE?

YEAH.

TRY TO GET RID OF THE LOOP.

UNLOOP IT IF YOU CAN DO IT.

THERE YOU GO!

HA!

NOW TOSS IT.

WATCH OUT.

AAH!

HA HA HA!

OH, GOOD... NO, NO, NO!

I GOT SO EXCITED!

TO START OUT, IT'S ACTUALLY SUPER, SUPER EASY AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET THE YO-YO SPINNING, BUT THEN LATER ON, YOU KNOW, THE TRICKS GET HARDER.

IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, DEDICATION AND, YEAH, HARD WORK TO REALLY GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

YEAH.

SO I ACTUALLY TEACH DIABOLO 7 DAYS A WEEK.

I'M TRYING TO GET, YOU KNOW, TEAMS AND CLUBS STARTED IN, LIKE, COLLEGES, MIDDLE SCHOOLS JUST SO THEY CAN START, YOU KNOW, TRYING IT OUT, AND THEN IF THEY LIKE IT, THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, PERFORM.

THEN MORE PEOPLE COULD REALLY KNOW ABOUT DIABOLO.

THAT'S MY MAIN GOAL.

YES!

NOW LET'S DO A MAGIC KNOT TOGETHER.

MAGIC KNOT TOGETHER.

MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE TRYING, AND THIS MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY.

SLOWLY.

THERE YOU GO.

TA-DA!

VERY NICE!

BIG BOW!

THANK YOU!

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

GREAT STUDENT, GREAT STUDENT.

MALLOZZI: JUST 10 BLOCKS SOUTH OF THE GLOW COMMUNITY CENTER IS THE MAE MAE DANCE SCHOOL.

[TRADITIONAL CHINESE MUSIC PLAYING] I MEET WITH MAE MAE HERSELF, FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL, AND I JUMP RIGHT IN HER CHINESE DANCE CLASS THAT SHE OFFERS TO THE COMMUNITY.

[MAE MAE SPEAKING CHINESE] MALLOZZI: THIS WAS ONE OF THE FEW DANCES WHERE I REALLY HAD TO BE CONSCIOUS ABOUT MY BREATH BECAUSE EVEN JUST OUR WARMUP...

YES.

IT WAS ABOUT THE BREATH.

YEAH.

IT'S DIFFERENT.

IT IS DIFFERENT.

AND YOUR HEART.

YEAH.

YOU GOT TO FEEL THE DANCE?

YES.

[SPEAKING CHINESE] [MUSIC ENDS] [NEW SONG PLAYING] [MAE MAE SPEAKING CHINESE] 3, 4.

FIRST TIME.

RIGHT.

NOT NOW.

YEAH.

[MUSIC PLAYING] YEAH.

YAY!

VERY NICE.

[DRUMS PLAYING] MAE MAE: GO.

MALLOZZI: THE SECOND DANCE THAT WE DID, WHAT WAS THAT STYLE?

YEAH.

IT IS FUN.

IT IS FUN.

YEAH!

WHOO!

VERY GOOD.

VERY GOOD.

[NEW SONG PLAYING] MALLOZZI: SO CAN ANYONE TAKE YOUR CLASS?

FROM 3 YEARS OLD ALL THE WAY TO, WHAT, HIGH SCHOOL?

AND ADULT CLASSES?

YEAH.

ADULT CLASS.

MAE MAE: STOP.

MAE MAE: STOP.

[CLAPPING] MALLOZZI: WHOO!

FLUSHING, QUEENS, HAS BECOME A FOOD MECCA IN NEW YORK CITY.

I MEET WITH JOE DiSTEFANO, FOOD WRITER AND FOOD TOUR GUIDE WHO SPECIALIZES IN ALL THINGS QUEENS.

I MOVED TO QUEENS IN THE LATE 1990s AND STARTED EXPLORING FOOD, AND EVENTUALLY, THAT LED TO DOING TOURS.

DOWNTOWN FLUSHING, CHINATOWN WAS MY FIRST TOUR.

IT REMAINS MY MOST POPULAR.

MALLOZZI: FOR OUR FIRST STOP, JOE TAKES ME TO SOY BEAN CHEN FLOWER SHOP, A FAMILY-OWNED FLORIST AND PLANT SHOP THAT ALSO SELLS HOMEMADE TOFU OUT OF A WINDOW.

YOU HAVE THE SWEET WITH GINGER SYRUP, SO DIG DOWN, REAL DOWN SO YOU CAN GET THAT SYRUP.

OK. AND I HAVE THE SPICY.

VERY SWEET, WARM.

IT JUST MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH LIKE "BUTTAH."

LIKE "BUTTAH."

IT IS UNBELIEVABLE, SO SMOOTH.

MR. CHEN IS FROM FUZHOU.

HE WAS A FARMER IN FUZHOU.

ABOUT MAYBE 30 YEARS AGO, HE DECIDED TO START MAKING THE TOFU THAT HE GREW UP WITH.

WHEN I THINK OF TOFU, I DON'T THINK OF THIS, BUT THIS IS DELICIOUS.

IT'S REALLY GOOD, RIGHT?

IT'S REALLY GOOD.

MALLOZZI: NEXT STOP, THE FAMOUS NEW WORLD MALL ON ROOSEVELT AVENUE.

DiSTEFANO: WHAT'S IN THE BASEMENT OF EVERY MALL IN THE UNITED STATES?

THE FOOD COURT.

THE FOOD COURT!

SO WE'RE GOING TO THE NEW WORLD MALL FOOD COURT.

WOW!

WE'LL GO SEE MY AUNTIES, THE KOREAN-CHINESE DUMPLING LADIES.

THERE'S A WHOLE MENU HERE OF MANY, MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF DUMPLING.

I LOVE THE DUMPLING BRIGADE.

LOOK.

SHE'S ROLLING, LIKE, 5 AT A TIME.

THESE ARE PAN-FRIED LAMB DUMPLINGS, LAMB AND CARROT.

THEY WERE COOKED UPSIDE DOWN.

MMM!

MMM.

THIS IS SHRIMP, PORK, AND CHIVES.

MMM!

IT'S DELICIOUS.

OH, THEY ARE GOOD.

AND THEY TASTE COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE LAMB BUT BECAUSE OF THE STEAMING AND THE FRYING.

HAS A DIFFERENT TEXTURE.

MMM!

WOW!

MALLOZZI: LAST STOP, JOE TAKES ME TO JOE'S STEAM RICE ROLL ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE NEW WORLD MALL AND A LOCAL FAVORITE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH SPOT HERE IN FLUSHING.

A STEAMED RICE ROLL IS A DIM SUM STAPLE.

IT'S ROLLED RICE FILLED WITH BEEF OR SHRIMP.

USUALLY MADE WITH COMMERCIALLY MADE RICE FLOUR.

HERE AT JOE'S, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GRINDING THE RICE INTO A BATTER.

JOE RONG IS A TRUE ARTISAN.

HE WENT TO CHINA TO LEARN HOW TO DO THIS.

HE BROUGHT BACK THE GRINDER, THE STEAMER, THE KNOWLEDGE.

WOW!

YOU WANT TO TRY SOME?

LOOK AT THAT BEAUTY.

LOOK AT THIS.

MMM!

THAT PEANUT FLAVOR, IT'S SO CREAMY.

THE PEANUT IS GOOD.

IT IS SO GOOD.

THE TEXTURE IS AMAZING.

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.

WOW!

SO YOU BASICALLY BROUGHT CHINA BACK HERE TO FLUSHING.

UNTIL HE CAME HERE, THERE WAS NOBODY MAKING RICE ROLLS LIKE THIS.

JOE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO BRING THE RICE ROLLS OF YOUR OWN RECIPE THAT YOU LEARNED IN CHINA HERE BACK TO FLUSHING, QUEENS?

OF BRINGING THAT SENSE OF HOME TO ALL THESE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

THAT'S WONDERFUL.

MALLOZZI: MY LAST STOP HERE IN FLUSHING IS TO QUEENS BALLROOM DANCE ON COLLEGE POINT BOULEVARD AND 33rd AVENUE.

[WALTZ PLAYING] I MEET WITH MARY LIU AND YURIY NARTOV, CO-OWNERS OF QUEENS BALLROOM DANCE.

NARTOV: IT'S DEFINITELY THIS COMMUNITY BUILDING OF DANCERS THAT COME FROM ANYWHERE.

LIKE, THERE'S A PERSON COMING FROM GREECE, A PERSON COMING FROM RUSSIA, A PERSON COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER EUROPE OR CHINA OR EVERYWHERE, AND THEY COME HERE.

THEY COME TO FLUSHING, QUEENS, THEY COME TO MARY'S STUDIO.

THIS IS A LEGACY THAT YOU STARTED, MARY, HOW LONG AGO?

ABOUT 28 YEARS AGO.

WOW!

CONGRATULATIONS.

FORMERLY KNOWN AS STUDIO M, MARY FOUNDED THE SCHOOL BECAUSE SHE HERSELF WAS A STUDENT, AND SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH SOCIAL DANCING.

THIS NEW LOCATION AND NEW VENTURE WAS BORN OUT OF NECESSITY.

FROM COVID, I COULD NOT SUSTAIN THE RENT, THE EXPENSES, SO I HAD TO MAKE A HARD DECISION TO SURRENDER THE PLACE.

RIGHT.

YEAH.

BUT THEN HERE NOW YURIY IS HERE.

ONE DAY, MARY CALLED ME AND SAID, "HEY.

DO YOU WANT TO BE PARTNERS?

DO YOU WANT TO OPEN A STUDIO?"

AND, YOU KNOW, WE WENT FOR IT.

MALLOZZI: TODAY, I'M HERE TO LEARN TAIWAN TANGO, A POPULAR STYLE HERE AT QUEENS BALLROOM DANCE.

NARTOV: WE START FIRST WITH OUR HOLD, YES?

SO I'M GONNA INTRODUCE THE HOLD HERE, AND MY ARM IS GONNA GO ON THE MIDDLE OF YOUR BACK.

OK.

SO FROM HERE, WE'RE GONNA DO TWO STEPS.

YOU'RE GONNA STEP BACK WITH YOUR RIGHT.

I'M GONNA STEP FORWARD WITH MY LEFT.

SO YOU GO SLOW, SLOW, QUICK, QUICK.

THIS IS A LINK STEP.

SLOW, QUICK, QUICK, SLOW.

THIS IS A CHECKING ACTION AFTER WHICH WE HAVE A TURN, WE PAUSE FOR A SECOND.

A LITTLE BIT MORE ADVANCED.

WE'RE GONNA WRAP THIS HAND AROUND AND DIP ACROSS--YES-- FOR A BIGGER BACK BEND.

YEAH!

EXCELLENT.

THAT FEELS GOOD.

[MUSIC PLAYING] WHAT'S THE ORIGIN STORY OF TAIWAN TANGO?

BECAUSE I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE TODAY.

THE ORIGIN IS UNKNOWN.

THERE'S ELEMENTS OF BALLROOM TANGO, THERE'S ELEMENTS OF ARGENTINE TANGO, THERE'S ELEMENTS OF A LITTLE BIT OF RUMBA THERE.

THERE'S SOME FREESTYLE THAT IS INVOLVED, BUT IT IS CENTERED ON THE FOLK SONGS.

IT'S SLOW, SO PEOPLE, THEY CAN HANDLE THE BEAT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO RUSH, THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S TOO CHALLENGING.

A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE DANCE.

ALL OF THE INSTRUCTORS, EVEN BALLROOM DANCERS, COME IN HERE.

THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT TAIWAN TANGO.

IT'S LIKE THE-- YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DANCED IN TAIWAN, THEY'RE DANCED IN HONG KONG, AND HERE IN FLUSHING, QUEENS.

WOW!

RIGHT?

AND...EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU!

YAY!

GOOD JOB.

YEAH!

[WOMAN SINGING IN CHINESE] MALLOZZI: WHAT'S AMAZING IS WHEN WE ASKED PEOPLE WHO SHOULD WE DANCE WITH IN FLUSHING, MARY, YOUR NAME WAS THE FIRST THAT CAME UP.

THE JOY BEHIND THIS IS TREMENDOUS.

SOMETIMES, PEOPLE COME TO YOU AND SAY, "OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH."

YOU KNOW... ARE YOU GETTING EMOTIONAL?

YEAH.

YOU'VE BROUGHT SO MUCH JOY TO PEOPLE, MARY.

ONE TIME, A CLIENT, SHE TOLD ME THAT "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE "TO THIS COMMUNITY.

"YOU ARE SAVING PEOPLE GO TO, LIKE, A-- SEEING PSYCHIATRISTS."

IT'S LIKE A MENTAL RELEASE.

IT'S THERAPY, YES, YES.

THERAPY.

SO WHEN I HEAR THAT, I'M "OH, THAT'S GREAT COMPLIMENT."

[TANGO MUSIC PLAYING] MALLOZZI: FROM THE BUSTLING CENTER OF FLUSHING'S FRENETIC CHINATOWN TO ITS PEACEFUL KOREAN BUDDHIST SANCTUARY, TO TASTES OF HOME THAT BRING COMFORT TO ITS COMMUNITIES, TO THE SOUNDS THAT TRANSPORT A CULTURE, AND OF COURSE TO THE SHARED JOY THAT DANCES BRING TO THIS DIVERSE COMMUNITY-- ALL OF THIS IS HERE IN FLUSHING, QUEENS, AND ITS NEIGHBORS ARE HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH ANYONE WHO TAKES THE TIME TO SEEK IT OUT.

XIE XIE, GAMSAHAMNIDA, AND THANK YOU, FLUSHING, FOR SHARING THEM WITH ME!

AND I'LL SEE YOU ON MY NEXT "BARE FEET" ADVENTURE, WHEREVER IT MAY TAKE ME!

YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED WITH US AT TRAVELBAREFEET.COM, WHERE YOU'LL FIND EXTRA BONUS VIDEOS, JOIN OUR "BARE FEET" SERIES CONVERSATIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND STAY UPDATED WITH OUR NEWSLETTER.

WHOO!

OHH!

HA!

THAT WAS GREAT.

I WANT THAT.

I WANT THAT.

BLOOPERS!

I NEED THAT.

LI: AND THEN WE'RE GONNA--I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO HOLD THIS FOR ME.

MALLOZZI: AAH!

OOF!

[CREW LAUGHING] ARE YOU OK?

NO.

OH, MY GOD!

HA HA HA!

HA HA HA!

"BARE FEET" IS FUNDED IN PART BY... ANNOUNCER: ROAD SCHOLAR, OFFERING EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL ADVENTURES FOR ADULTS SINCE 1975.

ANNOUNCER: ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN THROUGH THE YUEN FOUNDATION, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

...THESE GENEROUS SUPPORTERS.

ANNOUNCER: AND BY THE ANN H. SYMINGTON FOUNDATION.

[BABY BABBLING]