SUNDAY LIFE travel > 5-6E St. Paul Pioneer Press 1E FEATURES editor AMY NELSON [email protected] 651-228-5182 SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016 A time to dance The lunar new year is celebrated Above: “Gallops” is a Mongolian by Asians around the dance inspired by horses and horse riding and performed by CAAM world. For this local family, Chinese Dance Theater in St. Paul. Below: Peacocks, considered sacred it’s full of tradition, by the Dai ethnic group of southern China, are the featured animal in costumes and the spotlight. the “Golden Peacocks” dance. Story, Page 12E

Photos courtesy of Jijun He Entertainment > Celebrities Relationships > Daily Juggle native, ‘Black-ish’ star already a role model off-screen, at 15 How many moms does it take to bring a cat home? By Amy Carlson Gustafson screen,” thanks to her social activ- [email protected] ism, including her work with the Young Women’s Leadership Net- An acquaintance from cats,” she Fans of the popular TV show work. church emailed me Jan. replied. “We “Black-ish” know Yara Shahidi as Her first big role was in 2009, 7 about a couple of cats. would like the stylish, smart, tech-savvy teen starring opposite in I have a bad habit of Molly two cats that Zoey Johnson, the eldest child of the movie “Imagine That.” only glancing at or might like to the Johnson family, who often Before she was even in school, speed reading emails Guthrey protect us butts heads with her dad played Shahidi got her start doing print and texts, especially from the by Anthony Anderson. ads and commercials in the Twin when they’re not work colony of What you might not know is Cities alongside her mom, who is related. Combined with my mice that have moved in.” Shahidi was born in Minneapolis also an actress and model. Her increasingly dire need for bifocals Oh! I wasn’t sure why she (her family moved to California father is a cinematographer who — which I don’t yet have — my thought to contact me, of all peo- when she was a tot) and still has used to be Prince’s personal pho- reading comprehension isn’t what ple, until I went back and read her family in the Twin Cities. tographer. She also has a younger it used to be. original email on my laptop — ver- For her role on “Black-ish,” a sit- brother. This is how I came to believe that sus my tiny phone screen — so I com that takes on everything from Shahidi, whose grandfather my acquaintance from church was could better comprehend. racial stereotypes to family rela- owns a rug shop in Uptown, says theo & juliet trying to find a home for two of “We’re checking around with tionships, Shahidi has won an the family tries to get back to Min- Yara Shahidi plays Zoey Johnson. her cats. our friends and neighbors before NAACP Image Award and was nesota a couple of times a year. So I replied with some advice on stopping at the Animal Humane nominated for a Teen Choice While she wasn’t able to make it What: “Black-ish” rehoming. Society,” the church lady had writ- Award. Recently, the New York to the State Fair this When: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday Awhile later, confused, she ten. “Wondering if you had any Times did a feature on Shahidi, Channel: KSTP-TV emailed back. calling her a “role-model off ROLE MODEL, 3E > “Oh, no, we’re looking to have MOLLY GUTHREY, 3E >