Daniel Tai’s journey is one of creativity, adaptability and dedication to one's passions—proving it's never too late to embrace new pursuits. He sat down with us recently to talk.
A beloved member at Printing House squash in the West Village back in the mid-2000s, "Danny" was born and raised in New York City and grew up playing all the typical schoolyard sports. He went on to major in civil engineering at Columbia University but after several years working in Manhattan, grew frustrated by the sedentary and conventional lifestyle.
“I had some dancer friends who were starting a movement improvisation class for non-dancers,” he said. “I was 23 and had never danced before—not even at parties as a kid—but I did have a crush on a girl in the class so I went.” Having grown up enjoying drawing, lettering and creating posters for school, this was a chance to combine athletics with art, to use the body imaginatively, designing in space and time while collaborating with others. “I really took to it and when one of my teachers said, ‘You know, you’re really good at this—would you like to dance with my company?,’ I jumped at it and got to perform at the Whitney Museum.” This serendipitous debut was just the beginning for him. American modern dance—an innovative, exciting alternative to classical ballet—was in its heyday. Admired around the world, it was luckily based right in Manhattan and Danny began formally studying modern technique.
“Everyday after work I'd arrive at the dance studio with jacket, tie and attaché case and change into tights and leotard and for the next 90 minutes, time stood still,” he recalled. “Much like playing squash, you’re so in the moment and using your body so fully that you enter another world.” He was hooked and after giving up engineering to train full-time, ultimately forged a 20-year professional career touring the world with major dance troupes: teaching, performing, and loving it. [He even met his wife who is also a dancer while teaching in Greece.] "Amazingly, dance was nothing I had ever dreamed of or even thought about as a kid!”
It was during his early engineering years that an architect friend introduced him to squash at New York's West Side Y. "I had never heard of squash but after ducking under that tiny wooden door onto the court, I was in heaven. I couldn't believe a sport existed that combined so many of the things I loved: lines, angles, hitting, running, strategizing—concocting intense and rapid-fire, three-dimensional action in a mere 62 square meters. To this day, I enjoy solo practice and the zen-like quality of hitting a little black ball in an all-white room over and over, seeking perfect control and accuracy."
“But the whole time I danced professionally, I couldn't play squash—the risk of twisting an ankle or getting injured was just too great so I was forced to hang up my racket. When I play now, it feels like I'm still dancing. Squash is essentially a duet: two people sharing a court, negotiating time and space, running and improvising, relying on sound technique and tactics. And similar to dance, the action can get so quick and intense, you literally become mesmerized. Pushing your body and mind to the fullest, you really do enter like a lion and leave like a lamb.” While his dance background undoubtedly helps him on-court, it is watching top pros play that amazes him. "Their unbelievable athleticism, precision hitting skills, and economy of movement—in effect, on-court 'choreography'—are a treat to watch."
After retiring from dance and starting a family, Danny did graphic design for Newsweek and Time magazines but as the industry declined, he drew upon his experience teaching dance in the US and 17 foreign countries to begin instructing kids in squash. First at NYU, then Colony Club and now at the River Club, he continues to work with children and adults, noting that "squash for youngsters helps them as much mentally as physically, in terms of proprioception, extrapolation, attention span, decision-making and ultimately, tactical and strategic thinking."
When Open Squash's Bryant Park site was first planned, James Green came up with the idea of creating commemorative plaques for the lockers featuring squash's greatest players. Danny ended up researching, writing and designing these 'Locker Legends.' "While it was a lot more work than I thought, I did really enjoy learning about everyone and how their squash careers evolved. I now think of the FiDi and Bryant Park locker rooms more as 'Squash Halls of Fame.'
“I love working with Open Squash because it’s a club conceived and run by squash players, not real estate companies or fitness conglomerates,” he said. “You can really see and feel the difference, from their stated mission of making squash more accessible to how they actually do things and treat members. Just like in dance, there's not a ton of money in squash so people do it because they love it—creating a community like no other."
Thanks for talking with us about your personal journeys, Danny!
To view a video from Danny's dance days, click here!
You can also watch a video version of this interview at our Boast About It show here!
