Street dance moves into the mainstream

She remembers hearing doubts that popping demanded physical abilities girls simply did not possess.

"People thought girls would always struggle physically compared with boys," she says. "That only made me want to prove them wrong."

She trained relentlessly, often spending 12 hours every weekend in the studio.

At 9, she won her first competition while competing against adults.

"I never expected to win. When the judges raised my hand, I burst into tears. That moment made me believe maybe I really could do this," she recalls.

Her understanding of dance has changed with experience.

"I used to think of myself as an athlete," she says. "Now I think street dance is really about expression. Dance doesn't have one standard like sports. It's how you communicate your emotions."

She hopes audiences also see something else.

"I want people who watch me dance to feel that women are powerful," she says. "Girls can dance just as well as boys."

At the Lincoln Center, Wu will perform Daomadan, a work that combines street dance with Chinese opera traditions and martial arts, disciplines she has studied formally in preparation for the performance.

Daomadan translates to "knife-and-horse female role". Daomadan is a role type in traditional Chinese Opera, featuring a female warrior who combines martial arts, dance, acrobatics, and singing.

"Street dance wasn't originally connected with martial arts," she says. "Creating something new from both traditions is exciting. It's a way to share Chinese culture."