Bert Chan puts on her tap dancing shoes. (Photos and captions by Qiuyue Chen)

“I have no remedy and secrets," said Chan, "I just keep moving. I keep going all the time.”

Chan has been tap dancing for eight decades and teaches tap dancing at her studio in Santa Monica called the Tap Academy. Bert and her senior students often perform at retirement centers, where “you can wear the same thing every time and they won’t even remember.” 

"Tapping is like drumming," said Chan, while demonstrating a few steps in her courtyard. "The rhythm is same: 'bang bang bang.' Without the music, you sounds like drummer."

“If I don’t dance for a couple of weeks, I started aching all over," she joked. "It’s amazing."

Decades ago, Chan made history as one of the first female plumbers in United States. She hated the job and did it simply to prove to others that she could do whatever men did.

“It was very uninteresting, all about gas, electric and pipes. But I was determined. My husband was like: ‘Oh just quit it. Give up.’ But I said, ‘No, I won’t give up.’  Then I got my license.” 

At the time, women were not eligible for a plumber's license. 

Besides dancing, Bert loves to collect turtle crafts, make artworks, knit, and read. She also spends much of her time taking care of a big family. She loves to mention her three grandsons, her talented husband (who was nominated for an academy award in 1969), her famous father (who was once dubbed the "Mayor of Chinatown"), and her beautiful mother. Bert said, “It’s not always happy things; I have a lot of problems. But it’s okay, because I feel that keeps me going.”

Below are a couple shots from a photo essay on Bert, the entirity of which can be viewed on Neon Tommy's Flickr account. These photos were taken in collaboration with "Views From A Windowless Room," an undergraduate photojournalism lab at USC's Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. Like "Views From A Windowless Room" on Facebook.

Reach Quiyue here. 

Bert Chan shows off her turtle crafts collection. She started collecting turtles since she was a kid and likes them because "they are slow but they always reach their goal. They don't have to rush. I move fast but I love when things move slowly."

Bert Chan, 89, holds a portrait of her at 18 when she got married. “I have no remedy and secrets. I just keep moving. I keep going all the time.”

Bert Chan keeps photos of her family on the wall. Her father, Joe Waugh, was a lawyer and interpreter for the Chinese community. People always looked up to him and call him "Mayor of Chinatown" He was born in America, spoke fluent English, but could speak many different Chinese dialects. Her husband was an art director (production designer) for film. He was nominated for the 1969 Academy for a film called Gaily Gaily.

Bert Chan reads a book. Above her hangs a mosaic piece that she made.

Bert has decorated her “office” wall with art and trinkets from her past.