Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Denise Chan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Denise, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
For me, the best way to keep my creativity thriving is by indulging in art and keeping myself inspired. I’ve never necessarily considered myself a creative person, even though I’m in a creative art form, so tapping into the left side of my brain has always been more challenging. What I’ve found is that keeping myself stimulated artistically is a key factor in inspiring my own creativity and sparking my mind into movement. Listening to varying genres of music, watching all sorts of movies and shows, reading books, walking through museums and galleries, watching other dancers perform on stage or in class, and even discussing art are such helpful tools for me to keep my creativity alive and vivid. Seeing how others interpret different topics and ideas through their art form gives me a great base or stepping stone for me to jump off of, and once I have that little boost, my own creativity just takes over.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a professional freelance dancer working in both the contemporary/concert and commercial/street industries, and I have been dancing since I was 2 and a half years old. I am honoured to be a part of multiple companies in NYC and have performed all over the city with these companies as well as on my own in multiple different events, festivals, showings, celebrations, and performances. Although I am mostly a dancer, I have delved into choreography and teaching as well. Throughout my years as a dancer, both as a student and a professional, I’ve realized how special this art form is, and how unique it is as well. To be able to communicate without words, to physicalize complex emotions and thoughts, and to portray world issues through the use of the human body is something that not everyone can do, but something that everyone can feel. The fact that I can go onstage and explore these topics while exploring myself is fascinating enough, but the fact that others come to watch me explore and to feel what I feel is inexplicable. What I convey onstage is who I am, and my art will always be a reflection and expression of myself through movement. The fact that I get the privilege to do this as a career, as my profession, is the cherry on top. I’m so excited to continue my journey as I have many exciting upcoming performances in the following weeks and months, including company shows such as Alma Collective’s season II show and Sun Kim Dance Theatre’s “Lost & Found” world debut! I always advertise my upcoming performances and showings on my social media and share upcoming company events there as well, so if any readers are interested, follow me on instagram peeps 🙂
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three aspects that were most impactful in my journey were work ethic, self-dependence and confidence, and simply being a good person. Firstly, to be successful and to achieve the goals you are striving for, you have to have a good work ethic. One thing that I have always said about myself is that I am a hard worker. I am dedicated, resilient, determined, and committed, and my work ethic has never been questioned. I’m a firm believer that if you want something, you have to work for it, and that hard work really does pay off. I do realize, however, that there’s also other aspects like connections, the right place, the right time, and time and money that play into achieving success, but none of these things will be enough to propel your career without a strong work ethic to keep you thriving and at the top of your game if you will. My advice for people who struggle with work ethic is to remind yourself of what your end goals are and that sometimes you do have to push past what you think you are capable of to see where you might actually end up. It’s hard, and it can be exhausting in every single way, but I can tell you now that it will pay off and you will find success. Secondly, I believe self-dependency and confidence are huge factors in my journey and have been an integral part of my life. My ability to trust myself and, furthermore, have confidence in myself allowed me to take risks, make important yet difficult decisions, and be bold without retreating backwards before following through or doubting myself and my abilities when these risks didn’t go as planned. Going hand in hand with my work ethic, my self-reliance pushed me out of my comfort zone consistently and gave me the opportunity to discover myself and my dancing in new and unfamiliar ways. I knew myself well enough and trusted who I was enough to jump into unknown waters and be able to keep swimming. I was independent enough to practice on my own and to manage my time appropriately. I was confident enough to explore my own style and not change it because it wasn’t what others were doing, and to go out by myself and put myself out there even when I was alone. This got me seen. This got me heard. Both self-dependency and confidence can be a really big challenge for some, including myself at some points, but I can say that once you start working at it, it becomes habitual. Easier said than done, obviously, but if you carve out some time in your day or in your week to sit down and plan out your tasks, your rehearsal times, when to create, what classes to go to, and when to rest, it’ll all become second nature soon enough. This goes for self-confidence as well. I wasn’t always actually confident in my abilities, but I faked it, and then, eventually, my fake confidence morphed into real confidence. Once you trust yourself and believe in yourself, those mountains you dread climbing become anthills, and everything becomes more approachable and more manageable.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, is being a good person. Now I am in no way saying I’m a perfect person, and I have made my fair share of mistakes and bad decisions; however, I pride myself on being agreeable and a very decent human being. I’ll always remember this quote that so many of my teachers and mentors have mentioned: talent will get you in the room, but character will keep you there. Nothing is truer than this. I’ve worked hard, I’ve been self-reliant, and I’ve been confident in my abilities, but basically all the jobs I’ve ever gotten, the opportunities that have been offered to me, and the goals I’ve achieved have been due to the fact that people like who I am. Treating people with respect, with common decency, and with compassion will leave a lasting memory far more impactful than the quadruple pirouette you did in the combo or improv phrase you did at the end. You don’t have to be fake or put on a smile when you’re feeling upset or not like yourself, because others will sense that too. You simply have to treat people as you’d want to be treated. Think before you speak. Be kind. Check the energy you’re giving off in the room. Thank your teachers. Converse with fellow dancers and artists in the room. You never know what will come out of these simple interactions. If nothing happens, then no harm is done to anyone, including yourself, but if something does, you’ve just gained more experience, more connections, and more opportunities. This skill, this quality, is the most important piece of advice I can give anyone who is beginning their journey in the arts or in any field. Just be a good person, and the universe will reciprocate.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
GOOD QUESTION!!! I think, at least in the realm of dance, that versatility, especially nowadays, is one of the most important abilities to possess, and that being a well-rounded dancer and training in multiple different styles is key to elevating your dancing and artistry. Casting agents, directors, and choreographers are looking for dancers who can do it all now. They may say they are casting for dancers with strong ballet and modern technique, but they are looking for more than just that. The industry now demands dancers to be versatile and knowledgeable in all genres across the concert and commercial scenes, making cross-training invaluable to artists looking for their next big job. I remember when I was younger hearing that ballet is the foundation of all dance styles; however, I think that is no longer applicable. Yes, you do need to have strong ballet technique in order to improve your abilities in contemporary, jazz, or even hip hop, but I think the same could be said for the opposite. Training in street styles like popping, house, breaking, and locking increases your dynamics and textures, improves your isolation and coordination, and gives you a more in-depth understanding of musicality and rhythms. Training in contemporary and modern techniques strengthens your body awareness and flow and smooths your transitions from step to step. Freestyling and improving help you break your familiar movement patterns and allow you to explore your own styles outside of the confines of structured classes and phrases. I know that the success I’ve achieved in my dance career is heavily due to the fact that I have trained across genres and industries and that I pride myself on being a versatile artist. I have had so many encounters with people who ask me how I move the way I do or how I create the phrases I create, and I tell them it’s because I have a popping training background or that it’s because I grew up doing ballet and contemporary. I do question sometimes if I’m stretching myself too thin and if maybe I need to be focusing on only one style. It’s a jack of all trades, master of none kind of situation, but don’t forget that the ending of this saying is that it’s oftentimes better than being a master of one. You have to be smart with your abilities, and being able to realize your points of weakness will always lead to the improvement of your strengths. Some weeks, focus on your technical training. Take more ballet classes, more jazz, and then the next few weeks go back to floorwork and conditioning, and then foundational street sessions, and so on. I don’t think it’s really possible to master anything, as there are always aspects that can be better or stronger, and dance is no exception to this. Versatility will never hinder your performance; it’ll only expand it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @_denise_chan_
Image Credits
1. Zani & ALMA Collective 2. Kuoheng Huang 3. Cein & Sun Kim Dance Theatre
