'She Marches in Chinatown' celebrates 70 years of Seattle's unique local drill team

Seattle’s Chinese Community Girls Drill Team is a one of a kind. For over 70 years, the group has brought their own unique style to parades throughout the city.

The story of its founding, and its place in the Chinatown International District community, is the focus of a new documentary from director Della Chen titled, “She Marches in Chinatown.”

S

houts echo from a Chinatown International District Parking Lot.

"Company right, Company left. Company halt."

Following these commands, a group of twenty marchers pace to the beat of drums and cymbals. Their movements seem cut from the U.S. military, but their outfits come from the Cantonese opera.

"I think most Seattleites just assume that it's this traditional Chinese performance, but it's not," Chen said. "It's a very Seattle thing."

In 1952, Seattle restauranteur, politician, and icon Ruby Chow started the Chinese Community Girls Drill Team. The group would become a mix of Chinese and American influences. Her husband, Edward Chow, was a Cantonese opera singer, and styled the team's dresses after traditional warrior costumes. The group learned American military drill marching from a family friend who did the same kind of drills with the Seattle Police Department.

Decades later, the current team looks similar to its predecessors. The uniforms remain bright red and gold, and are still handmade in Hong Kong.

Chen remembers seeing the drill team at the Seafair Torchlight Parade, and was dazzled by their performances.

"To see Asian girls in an American tradition was kind of inspiring, and even though I had no idea what the background was, or why they were even there, you get this kind of connection."

The team is open to girls ages 11 to 18, and for the last five years, Chen's daughter has marched as a member of the troupe. When marching was put on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic, she saw a problem. Enrollment was down, and the history of the group that Chen had come to know was at risk.

"I was never part of the drill team, so I really came into this as an outsider. And there are so many people who volunteer their time. They come back every year — aunties, chaperones, parents. They dedicate so much of their time to keep this activity going."

"She Marches in Chinatown" is the first documentary for Chen, who's worked as a photographer for the last 20 years. The film follows the rehearsals and personalities of the group as they prepare for performances in 2022. One of the surprising elements is a series of videotaped interviews with Ruby Chow and her daughter, Cheryl Chow, who oversaw the group after Ruby eventually stepped away.

Chen only came across the tape after an older member handed her VHS after rehearsal.

"There was a drill team member who produced this video 20 years ago as a commemorative video celebrating their 50th anniversary. So I contacted her in California, and she went to her storage unit, found the original tapes, and overnighted them to me. And within a week, I had access to all this amazing footage," she said.

Chen said her hope for the film is to renew interest in the team, which has seen membership range from 20 to 100 members over its 70-year history. In addition, even as the group is commonly called a "girls drill team," current membership is more diverse and multicultural, a facet Chen explores in the film.

"They get to see each other on a regular basis, they get to do this activity that doesn't necessarily have to do with Chinese culture, but they learn," Chen said. "They learn about Chinese culture, not by marching, but by being together. They learn about respect. They learn about their community. And they learned about friendships and sisterhood. And I think that's really important."

The drill team's season spans from April to August, and locals can see them perform at most parades in town.

"Once you see them, you'll never forget them."

Listen to the full interview with Della Chen by clicking "play" on the audio button above.