Kim Orendor

Unbound Feet:
Finding Freedom in Communist China

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There is no way thirteen-year-old wallflower me could conceive of a day when I would dance—voluntarily—in the halftime show of the Chinese University Basketball Association championship that was broadcast to millions of people.

 

But I did.

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My memoir Unbound Feet: Finding Freedom in Communist China chronicles this miraculous transformation. It’s the story of how a devoted only child with an unhealthy body image who was raised going to Sunday School every weekend finds grace and unconditional love for herself and others.

 

Teaching at an international university in Henan Province came with its perks and drawbacks.

 

The college was a major draw for foreigners from around the world and my worldview was expanded with each new cultural interaction. One of my favorite things was that no one there knew me, so I was able to work out becoming the person I wanted to be without any
preconceived notions.

 

While in China, I took the time to reexamine all aspects of my life; relationships, faith, and expectations. The journey wasn't always smooth and sometimes I felt as if I was moving backwards, but in the end, I wound up better and stronger from the experience.

 

Actually, the drawbacks created the greatest room for growth. The university—in an attempt to attract more students—carried the largest foreign English-speaking staff in the province. It also
operated a bit like Disneyland with expats filling in for the park characters. In addition to teaching classes, I was expected to participate in several "educational" cultural programs.

 

Apparently, buried deep in my contract—written in Chinese characters—was the mandatory participation agreement. I was contractually obligated to be an entertainer.

 

During my time as a teacher in China, I led more than 2,000 students in a variation of rock-paper-scissors, line danced in front of nearly 3,000 students and staff and engaged in the above-
mentioned halftime performance. (J-Lo’s got nothing on me.)

 

Each dance, each skit, pushed me further from my comfort zone and closer to the woman I was eager to become.

 

When I left China in 2011, I was ready to restart my life in the United States. However, I wasn't ready to give up the lessons I'd learned or the freedom I'd attained while living there.

 

While I haven't danced as much since returning stateside, every now and then the spirit moves me, and this former wallflower can bust a move.