Helen Dang

Actor, dancer, choreographer and martial artist Helen Dang is entering a breakout chapter of her career, with a multidisciplinary background that sets her apart as an exciting talent to watch. This September, she takes on a leading role opposite Isabella Wei, Ming-Na Wen and Tzi Ma in acclaimed filmmaker Mina Shum’s WHATCHA WANT, premiering at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. As Penny, a passionate dance coach, Helen brings together her acting and professional dance backgrounds, while also contributing to the film’s choreography and movement development. Her growing screen credits include Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, Disney+’s Descendants: Wicked Wonderland and Prom Pact, and Riverdale, alongside an extensive career in dance, choreography, martial arts and motion capture — including bringing Seraphine to life for Riot Games’ League of Legends. With WHATCHA WANT marking her biggest screen role to date, Helen is poised for an exciting next chapter.

For the people discovering you for the first time, can you walk us through your story?

My name is Helen Dang. I was born and raised in Beijing, China, and moved to Canada when I was 17 years old. I’m a dancer, artist, actress, and martial artist. I started working in the film industry around 2019. My first on-camera job was as a dancer in The Christmas Chronicles 2, which introduced me to performing for film and sparked my interest in acting. Before that, much of my life had revolved around dance. I taught, competed in hip-hop battles and performed professionally. While working on The Christmas Chronicles 2, the director gave me a small opportunity to act, and something clicked. I realized I wanted to explore another side of myself as a performer. I knew that the skills I already had would give me a strong foundation to build on, and that experience ultimately led me to pursue acting more seriously.

You were on “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. How did it feel to be part of a project that so many of us grew up with and that’s so well known to this generation?

First, I definitely felt very, very honored. I was like, “Which nation am I going to be?” I had watched the entire series. I didn’t grow up with it in China, but I watched it when I got here because I knew it was such an important part of so many people’s childhoods. I was especially drawn to its connection to kung fu and the way the different nations’ martial arts are inspired by different forms and traditions. That made the world of Avatar feel very connected to my own culture and background. When I got the audition notice, I was like, “I’m getting this. I’m getting this,” because it just felt right. There was something about the character and that world that I felt I could really embody. I won’t spoil too much because this season hasn’t come out yet, but I feel like everything I’ve been doing all these years has been building toward moments like this, and Avatar is definitely one of them.

You’ve worked on so many different projects. There was Avatar, and then you did Descendants. You also did Riverdale and Prom Pact. What have these experiences taught you about working on set?

As dancers, we train our skill sets in certain ways. For example, I’m a hip-hop dancer, so I trained in hip-hop: the culture, the history, the battle culture, all of that. But when it comes to film and TV, you’re often asked to step into completely different worlds. I was a cheerleader in Prom Pact, which has nothing to do with hip-hop. I was also a backup dancer for Josie and the Pussycats on Riverdale. In Descendants, I played one of the villain kids. Every project has asked me to become someone different. Hip-hop taught me how to embody a character through movement, but film and TV pushed me to go further and think about who that character is beyond the choreography. I started creating backstories and filling in details that might never even appear on screen. For example, when I did Descendants, I was wearing green, with green eyeshadow and a green-and-blue bun, and I got to keep my signature hairstyle. So I started thinking, “What does this color say about my character? What’s my favorite subject at school?” I loved getting to imagine all of those little details. Every character becomes its own world, and I get to dive much deeper into who they are than I would if I were simply performing a character on stage a few times.

Your new movie “Whatcha Want” just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. What was the difference between this experience on set compared to some of your earlier screen roles? I think this is a much bigger part for you as well.

This is the biggest part I’ve had so far. The biggest difference was that I got to be on set more often. I was also much more involved in the preparation and creative process, and I think that was my favorite part. Because I was on set so often, even on my days off, I would still come in because I wanted to see what everyone was working on, how the actors brought their characters to life, and especially what was happening behind the scenes. I got to see how the camera team worked, what the script supervisor did, and talk to people in different departments to better understand how everything came together. I don’t usually get the opportunity to see that much of the filmmaking process, so being able to learn from everyone around me was really fascinating. I loved being part of it.

"You only live once, so if I have a dream, I’ll make the effort to make it come true. I’ll take my time, stay grounded in what I believe in, and never give up. One day, I want to look back and say, “I did it.” That’s something I truly believe in: go after your dreams, give them the time they need, and never give up on them."

When you think back on making the movie because it’s been a while since you shot and wrapped, what is one moment that you think you’ll keep with you for a long time?

So many! There was an important dance scene that involved quite a few dancers. We actually shot all the dancing at the end of the filming process. The last few days were the dance scenes, even though they’re at the beginning of the movie. Everyone on the production knew, “Oh, this is it. This is going to be the grand finale of our filming process,” and everybody had been looking forward to it. Then, on the day we shot that dance scene, we had a dance party afterward. The set design had lights above our heads, and our lighting team changed them to different colours, so it became this disco moment. I got to see Mina, Brian, our DOP, our first AD Ryan, and everyone just dancing so freely. It made me so happy. I think I was just jumping through the crowd, looking at their faces and seeing how free they were to just be themselves. The whole production team was out there dancing. My heart was melting.

What songs did you dance to? What genre?

I honestly don’t remember! I think sometimes you just remember the feeling of a moment more than the specifics. I remember the lights, everyone’s happy faces, and just how happy I felt. I think that’s what’s important. You got to work with some pretty amazing people, both in the cast and the crew. What did you learn from these people, and what did you learn from working opposite each other every single day? Most importantly, I learned about their process and how they prepare. Each person is so different. Between Izzy, Ming-Na, Tzi Ma, and all the other actors, everyone’s preparation process is their own. Whenever we needed each other’s help with a read, it was a very collaborative process. We would say, “Yeah, no problem. We just finished shooting. I’ll come help you read for your scene tomorrow.” Everybody was so willing to support each other. I also really paid attention to their work ethic. People like Ming-Na and Tzi have been doing this for decades, so I was always watching and thinking: How do they prepare? What do they do on set? What are their mannerisms? What do they do off camera? I was watching all of that. And then there’s how we treated each other. I definitely learned that being a good person is just as important as being good at your craft. You can be incredibly talented, but how you treat the people around you matters just as much.

I really think you’re entering a new and exciting chapter of your life where people will get to know more about you. What do you hope this chapter allows you to bring into your life? Are there any characters you’d like to portray or people you’d like to work with?

I already have one. As soon as I did Penny, because Penny is a dancer, I thought, “Okay, great. A lead dancer role. Cross that off my bucket list.” Now the next one will be an action role. That’s my next goal. I’ve been really keeping my eyes on these roles and the actresses who play them, and learning from what they’re doing. As an Asian female actor, especially, I look at all the Asian female actors who paved the way, and I’m very inspired by them. I can’t wait for the day when I get that action lead role.

Are there any causes that are dear to your heart that you would hope to bring awareness to with your platform in the future?

There are a few things. For the past five or six years, I’ve been really focusing on this cross-cultural life that I live. I’m bouncing between Vancouver, Beijing, and LA, and between Chinese culture, Canadian culture, and hip-hop culture. In the beginning, I had to shape-shift myself. Slowly, I learned to absorb all of these cultures and find a way to hold all of them within myself and bring them together. I understand that for people who were born and raised in Vancouver, for example, it might be difficult to fully understand this cross-cultural experience. It’s such a different perspective, and I would love to be a messenger for that. I want to help people understand what that experience is, especially in North America, where we talk so much about diversity. How can we better understand and communicate with each other? I think living between these different worlds has given me a perspective on that. I’m always standing on that bridge, bringing different cultures together. That’s the first thing I really want to speak about. The second is that I have friends who aren’t in our industry or in the dance community. They live what they consider an ordinary life, and they sometimes think that to live in society, you need to fit in and change yourself. They might think that certain dreams don’t have to come true. For me, that’s not true. "You only live once, so if I have a dream, I’ll make the effort to make it come true. I’ll take my time, stay grounded in what I believe in, and never give up. One day, I want to look back and say, “I did it.” That’s something I truly believe in: go after your dreams, give them the time they need, and never give up on them."

For the past five or six years, I’ve been really focusing on this cross-cultural life that I live. I’m bouncing between Vancouver, Beijing, and LA, and between Chinese culture, Canadian culture, and hip-hop culture. In the beginning, I had to shape-shift myself. Slowly, I learned to absorb all of these cultures and find a way to hold all of them within myself and bring them together.

Talent: Helen Deng

Photographer: Richie Lubaton

Interviewer: Violeta Nicola