About Me

你好/Привет/Hallo/Hi/Bonjour

I'm Liuhan Dong, an animator with a truly global background - born in China, raised in Russia and the Netherlands, and now based in Canada since elementary school. All this moving around made me really good at spotting stories that don't usually get told, whether through my art, animation, or occasional stage adventures.

From Pencil to Performance

I used to get so nervous on stage that I thought I belonged strictly behind the scenes. You'd find me painting posters and building props during school musicals instead of performing. But when I discovered animation, I realized what I really loved was bringing characters to life, just in a different way. Last year, I finally took the plunge with Stella Adler's Beetlejuice musical training, where I learned how animation and acting use the same muscles (just with less stage fright!).

What I Do

• ✍️ Freelance artist for 6 years (since high school), now focusing on stories that matter

• 🎞️ Current project: Mixing 2D and 3D animation to explore Deaf experiences (my desk is buried under both tech manuals and bubble tea)

• 🎭 New passion: Discovering how acting techniques make my animations breathe