K-Pop Fan Interview: Jessica
Could you tell us who you are, where you’re from and give us a little description about yourself?
Greetings! My name is Jessica! I’m a Vietnamese-Chinese Canadian who always had an extreme passion for dancing. I started creating dance covers back in February 2019, but I’ve had a dancing spirit since I was practically a baby. I am completely self-taught, I currently do not have much professional experience. However, I guarantee that I will have more opportunities in the future! I am especially optimistic and supportive towards other dancers that also want to develop personal growth. I hope throughout this journey, we all can celebrate our self-confidence and our successes together!
So how long are you a K-pop fan and how did you get introduced?
Back in 2007, I was introduced to K-pop by my two elder sisters. My very first song that I discovered was the iconic “Tell Me by Wonder Girls“. My family would often put on their performance videos on television for me to watch. As soon as I saw the music video, I completely fell in love with the catchy tune, choreography and the vocals. It had definitely inspired me to start dancing. If it weren’t for my dear family, I wouldn’t be into dancing as much as I do now!
Why do you love K-pop and what makes it different compared to other genre’s?
In my opinion, K-pop is a unique genre for many different reasons. It promotes lots of concepts and ideas. For instance, songs may have messages that express the importance of love and respect. They can represent feelings of sorrow or loss. Anyone can listen to K-pop. Even if it may be in a different language, it does not matter. Music itself is meant to be a language we can all listen, relate, and understand. I enjoy Korean music because it gives me a piece of diversity in my life. It brightens me up!
If you make K-pop related content could you tell us what you do and why?
My vision is to continue creating dance covers to share to the dance community. Instagram is my main platform at the moment, but I will eventually start a Youtube channel. Dance is not just a hobby, it’s the source of my happiness as well. I make dance covers so I can showcase my talent and what I am confident in. I’m a former member of my junior high school’s dance club. I have never regretted my decisions on joining the crew because I have met such energetic and lively people! I am glad to have such an encouraging association.
Could you tell us your top 5 K-pop groups (in no particular order):
A very difficult question! I love BTS, Stray Kids, CLC, Mamamoo and Red Velvet.
Out of those 5, if you had to pick a number 1, who would it be and why?
I’d have to choose BTS. I’ve stuck around them back in 2013 during the “No More Dream” era, which was when they debut. Before I knew BTS, I was lacking motivation to continue dancing. In one word, I’d describe the feeling as empty. I was lost, I didn’t know what to cover. Until when I discovered BTS, that was when they opened up other doors for me. I’m incredibly thankful for BTS for inspiring me to continue my passion for dance! I love how diverse their aesthetics are in terms of music videos and songs.
Who’s your bias. Could you tell us your top 5 (in no particular order):
Bang Chan (Stray Kids), Kim Taehyung (BTS), Chungha and Moonbyul (Mamamoo).
If you had to pick a number 1 bias, who would it be and why?
I had to think about this for quite a while, but I will go with Bang Chan. I believe he’s one of the top artists out there who really expresses his love to his fans and the other members. He’s an amazing, talented and hardworking leader. He left his home at such a young age to chase his dream to become an idol. I find that super impressive, because he gathered the courage and bravery to go reach that goal. Ofcourse he experienced hardships and failures, but that was what made him successful today. I think he deserves so much more love and support!
Imagine getting a wish granted, but it has to be K-pop related: could you tell us what your wish would be and why?
I truly wish that I could see a K-pop live performance. I actually have never attended any K-pop concert and I desperately want to. I want to see my idols shine on stage, showing off their talents and charisma with my own eyes.
Let’s spread some love by giving a big shout out. Who would you like to give a shout out to and why?
This is indeed such a hard question, because there are so many dancers out there that I want to shout-out to! I guess I’d have to say the entire dance community! I love seeing everyone’s progress and watching people overcome their fears of many things. Fears of being judged, fears of not looking good enough and fears of failure is the reason why people have hesitancy and they hold back from doing what they love. I do my best to encourage everyone that you can always improve no matter what. It makes me feel proud that people push through these fears, because they know they are doing it for themselves. Everyone in the dance community deserves to be loved and supported by each other.
And last but not least: if you could change the world with just one positive message (it doesn’t have to be K-pop related), what would it be?
I want to let you know that it is definitely okay to fail. If you fail, congratulations, you’re a human being! Everybody makes mistakes. Children, adults, seniors, everyone! Don’t feel ashamed to admit your failures. Failure just means you have more room to improve and have personal development. I call this “failing forwards.” Struggles, issues, problems, roadblocks, everything listed here are the keys to your success. Without these, you’ll never learn how to grow or have experience. Cherish your mistakes that you’ve made and when you’ve learned from it, you’ll be thanking your past self.
Instagram: @jayhadance
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