Love on the dance floor: The refugees reunited in ballroom

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When they first met in communist Vietnam in the 1970s, Paul and Millie Cao loved dancing together even though dancing to western music was frowned upon. Although they quickly fell in love, Paul had to flee Vietnam just six months after meeting Millie. He went first to Taiwan and then to the United States where finally, after six years, he and Millie were reunited. Jo Fidgen talks to them about their love story and how - now in their sixties - they're back on the dance floor, blazing a trail in competitions all over California. Their story is featured in a documentary called Walk Run Cha-Cha which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2020. Imani Wilmot was born into a surfing family - her father is known as the "godfather" of Jamaican surfing and her brothers are also avid boarders, so she took to it like a duck to water. She was good too, winning competitions and representing her country with pride. But she soon realised that she was the only top black female surfer at those competitions, and that if she wanted a community around her, she'd have to create it herself. So Imani set up a surf school for girls and women when she was 17, sharing her confidence and discovering the healing power of the waves. This interview was first broadcast in August 2020. Get in touch: [email protected] Presenter: Jo Fidgen (Photo: Millie and Paul Cao dancing together. Credit: Paul Cao)