Photography by: Lesley Xiaohan Ma

Produced by: Her Studio New York

Directed by: Stephanie Rommelt

Interviewed by: Shayna Viola

Art and movement inspire me. My mom put me in my first ballet class at 4 years old, and from an extremely young age, I began to see the world and emote through movement and dance. Performing arts is one of my biggest passions. Performing, whether that be dance, theatre, modeling (yes modeling is a performing art in my eyes), brings me a sense of freedom and joy that I can’t find anywhere else, and I hope that through my art I can make people feel and experience even an inkling or how I feel onstage.

I do a little bit of everything as a performing artist, from dance to musical theatre to even aerials, I love playing with the intersection of different art forms, and now especially with working a corporate 9-5, I try even harder to maintain this creativity in my life

What advice would you give someone who is moving to a new city to follow their dreams? 

Two key things I’ve learned since moving to New York: 

1. Embrace being scared. You wouldn’t have this much fear if your dream wasn’t worth fighting for. My aspirations in dance, in modeling, and in the arts can feel so unattainable at times, and I often feel completely out of my element, but some of the best moments in my career thus far have been when I dove headfirst into projects / jobs I was so scared to approach. 

2. It is completely okay and honestly empowering to go to events alone, eat out alone, be alone. I’ve learned the most about myself and how I want to apply myself to my art and my work in these types of moments. 

Would you ever become a dance teacher?

I have taught classes before, and I would consider teaching later in my career, but especially now since I’m still young, I want to be able to create, move, and dance as much as I can while I still have the body and stamina to do so. I love to choreograph though, and teaching personal choreography, whether that be for performing or for workshopping, is definitely something I would love to do right now. 

You mentioned that you also work a 9-5, how does that affect your creative life?

Having a full time job definitely restricts my creative life significantly, and it’s always a battle trying to balance my day job with the creative opportunities and projects I want to pursue. I hope someday that I’ll be able to model/dance/create full time, but for the time being, I am still grateful to have a job that supports my lifestyle in New York and allows me to continue to pursue my creative endeavors. 

What would you tell someone who wants to get into the arts and learn how to dance, but is letting their lack of experience hold them back?

Go take a beginner dance class! I know it’s scary, but most basic / beginner classes are taught by amazing people in the industry while also being geared towards people who have never danced before. The energy and the support in these classes are unbelievable, and if you get past the fear of having no experience, it is one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences. If it helps, bring a friend with you too so there will be at least one familiar face in the room. 

Why did you want to be apart of this project?

I’ve been following HerStudio for some time now and am always inspires by the work you put out and the energy you portray, uplifting women. I love this project specifically because you are offering a platform for creative women to share their stories and hopefully be able to support and encourage the millions of other women who want to make it in the arts.

Do you have any projects your are working on?

A big passion project of mine currently is bringing more ballet and dance into fashion and runway.

Connect with Angela!
Instagram: @angelazballet