Team Spotlight: Esther Lian

Hi everyone, I’m Esther, danceCREATE’s Communications Intern! I’m currently a sophomore in high school. This opportunity to work for a dance company has been such an amazing adventure and I’ve learned so much! Being able to incorporate my passion into my work has been the experience of a lifetime. 

Dance has always been a massive part of my life since I was a young girl.

Growing up in Singapore, I started taking ballet dances at the age of 5. Some of my best memories come from taking those dance classes - pink ballet flats, practicing splits against the wall, and partner work across the floor. After I moved to Los Angeles at the age of 10, I continued to take ballet classes and refined my kicks, jumps, and pirouettes. However, dance was more of a habit than a passion. The repetition of ballet exercises and the pain of pointe shoes taught me precision and resilience, but I never particularly enjoyed ballet, apart from the opportunity to talk to my friends. Ballet was simply not my style.. The funny thing is that I thought that was normal. I assumed that all dancers had the same feelings I felt, and accepted the routine of bi-weekly ballet classes unenthusiastically.

However, everything changed in eighth grade.

Eighth grade introduced me to a new genre and subculture - kpop. Kpop has built an incredibly diverse fanbase across the world. Its equal emphasis on music and dance is captivating. Trainees spend half their lives in the studio practicing their vocals and dance, even though most would never manage to achieve their dreams to debut. Learning about these incredibly talented young men and women who spend their teenage years in the studio every second outside of school to pursue their dreams made me finally realize what a passion in dance truly means.

In ninth grade, I joined my high school’s dance program where I was introduced to a wide array of dance forms, including jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and of course, ballet. The experience allowed me to discover my style in dance. I now spend almost every minute of my free time exploring and learning different dances, especially kpop choreographies. It has become my escape and relief, especially during this time of social distancing.