Dance to Unite’s Board of Directors honors the memory of its loved and admired President of the Board Ms. Anh-Tuyet Nguyen.
Anh-Tuyet (nicknamed AT, pronounced by both letters “A” “T”) was more than the President of Dance to Unite, she was Dance to Unite; her life story, her intercultural marriage to Rob Pollock, her love and passion for dance, and her dedicated work for diversity and equality embodied Dance to Unite's mission. AT was teaching acceptance, respect and unity simply by being who she was.

AT and her family were forced to leave their native home in Vietnam and pack up their most precious belongings within a 2 days’ notice and get on a rescue plane to America, to escape the bombing of Saigon in 1975. They landed in a refugee camp based in Texas. AT’s positive character made her look at the somber circumstances through an appreciative lens and find the opportunities within the tragedy, after all she and her family were fortunate to be saved. Despite the challenges of being thrust into a completely different culture as a refugee, without knowing a word in English and at the tender age of 19, AT’s resilient and tenacious nature propelled her to succeed by pursuing education and a better life, she managed to master the English language within a few years and graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a major in Mathematics and a minor in French. She advanced her education and obtained her Masters Degree in International Management from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. She then had an 18-year successful professional career with Fortis, Inc. (now Assurant, Inc.) in a variety of roles. Highlights include a 3-year assignment as the first American sent to corporate headquarters in the Netherlands to promote cross-company learning. Her last assignment was in the Information Technology department managing cross-business technology projects.

AT who achieved success through years of hard work and diligence was known by those around her for her generous and giving heart and so she was sought by some of the most prestigious nonprofit organizations in NYC and served on plethora of boards such as: The Westfield Symphony Orchestra, Women United in Philanthropy chapter in New York, New York Opera Society, Film Forum and The Joyce Theater Foundation. In 2013 she joined the Board of Dance to Unite, a grassroots organization with limited resources, she chose an organization with a mission close to her heart rather than name recognition or prestige. She kindly offered mentorship to Dance to Unite’s founder Galit Adani, who was then an inexperienced director, provided financial funding, cultivated her contacts and circle of friends for support, opened her home, cooked dinners and hosted countless meetings and fundraising events, implemented her expertise in the nonprofit field and mostly invested her heart. In 2015 AT chose to now lead Dance to Unite as its President, she saw the potential of growth in the organization by recognizing the need for its mission. She was fully committed to what Dance to Unite stands for and served as its President until her very last day.

It’s hard to believe that in February 2020, a month before AT’s passing, a group of over 100 people who were AT’s family and friends, gathered from all over the world to meet in Portugal for a destination birthday party, to celebrate her 64th birthday in a lavish royal masquerade ball theme. It was an incredible weekend that was filled with euphoria and love. Her birthday celebration encompassed all that AT has cherished; a gathering of family, friends, travel, dance, performances, food, fun games and activities that were all wrapped through her joy and intention to unite people in a celebration of life. It's disheartening to think that shortly after wearing lavish masquerade masks and dancing the night together on AT’s birthday, the world was forced to wear protective face masks and to socially distance from one another. AT taught unity with her life, and sadly also in her passing. The Covid-19 virus has affected everyone, collectively, in the entire world, and the search for a solution forced people from all over the globe to understand the need to unite. It is a call for everyone worldwide to reflect on what's truly important, and to remember the lessons as we move forward…

AT touched the hearts of people who got to know her along her life’s journey, she chose to dress up as "Queen of the People" at her last masquerade birthday party, and what a good fit it was for who she truly was; she was compassionate and loved by countless diverse people; people of different background, religion, sexual orientation, age, and status, and at the same time she demanded respect by her strong sense of self worth. She is now remembered as the dancing “Queen of Angels” as she continues to provide guidance from above.
Dance to Unite chooses to move forward, true to AT’s character, with resilience and confidence, that AT’s effort and hard work will continue to thrive as a vital part of Dance to Unite’s ongoing mission and legacy.

To make a contribution in honor of Anh-Tuyet Nguyen’s memory follow the link below.