Everybody’s dance journey comes with a uniqueness that units them aside from their friends. For some, it was handed down from a dad or mum or sibling, whereas for others, there have been inspirations from well-known names within the dance group. Irrespective of the place the trail has come from, all roads result in enriching and constructing additional as the fervour for artistry grows. Whereas it was not at all times as attainable, faculty has turn out to be a segue from dance training in grade faculty into larger training. Hip hop dancer Travis Lim talks to Dance Informa about his early years in dance, and what led to him wanting extra.
“My dance journey began once I was about six or seven watching movies on my house pc of Michael Jackson in my basement,” Lim remembers. “I questioned who was instructing him and thought to myself that that’s one thing I might like to do.”
It was his fascination with the choreography of a pop icon and eager to be concerned within the artform that sparked Lim to attend a hip hop studio in his hometown of Vancouver, Canada. Due to how a lot there was to study inside hip hop, the necessity to study different types didn’t attraction to Lim. Even so, the necessity to proceed coaching led Lim to pursue the next training in dance whereas attending UCLA. The beginning of this new chapter in dance proved to be a difficult but fulfilling expertise academically and professionally.
“College is such an unimaginable alternative that everybody ought to have the possibility to expertise,” says Lim. “As a world pupil, it was considerably troublesome as a result of I couldn’t work. Nevertheless, I had the chance to compete on Canada’s Received Expertise proper when Covid was calming down. I realized our routines by Zoom all whereas writing essays on the aspect between takes. There was a variety of learning on planes and stressed nights, however fortunately my workforce bought the golden buzzer and made it to finals.”
Together with competing on TV, instructing and adjudicating with competitions and conventions and ensuring that assignments bought completed, Lim facilities making these items occur regardless of the issue round what additional fueled his drive to steadiness the educational features with the skilled elements of his dance profession. In fact, within the educational realm, there may be an introduction to practices and strategies which might be international to what we could also be accustomed to. UCLA served as an introduction to what extra may very well be introduced out of every artist.
Lim says, “One of many greatest modifications whereas attending UCLA was my change in mindset from dancer to artist. I went from learning primarily hip hop to learning West African, live performance dance and lots of different types. I needed to ask myself, ‘What does my artwork do?’ from a worldwide perspective. Via researching movies whereas diving into the cultural and social affect, I used to be elevated past aesthetics. My eyes have been opened to what dance may do.
Preserving in thoughts the newfound views that may include pursuing the next training in dance, there isn’t any denying that there will also be uncertainties that comply with as with every new endeavor. What courses will you be required to take? Are there sufficient assets accessible to complement the place there may be much less expertise? Is there versatility throughout the curriculum that may be all inclusive to college students who’re concerned? With these questions in thoughts, Lim gives some recommendation from his private expertise for individuals who could also be uncertain of tackling dance on the collegiate stage.
“From the second I began my journey with hip hop, I confronted prejudice for that fashion of dance,” Lim says. “The place programs and courses at different universities have been taught with a extra Eurocentric or particular strategy, UCLA differed by providing a well-rounded strategy to bop. Each class current has been petitioned to be there. You have to be ready for the lengthy street forward, and you may’t count on change when you don’t present up. I needed to push for the whole lot I needed to realize. Put your fashion on the map and battle.”
Within the spirit of placing dance types on the map and preventing to maintain them alive, there are lots of feats that may be celebrated due to the efforts of those that paved the best way. From celebrating the 51st anniversary of hip hop to with the ability to see breaking being introduced in the latest Olympics, these are the milestones that proceed to push Lim to push for the artform that pulled him into the dance realm. The multi-faceted expertise with UCLA and incomes his diploma in dance to being signed with MSA Company in L.A. are steps on the ladder of consciousness that Lim desires to share throughout the board together with his artistry. The steadiness between the educational world and the skilled world is one thing that Lim strives to take care of.
Lim says, “I’m presently discovering steadiness inside myself. I spend my days instructing dance at Okay-12 colleges in addition to dance studios. It’s the fixed push and pull whereas furthering continuation of this tradition within the professional world. My greatest aim is advocating for hip hop pedagogy concerning larger training whereas together with the historical past I’ve valued and realized from UCLA. For others with unconventional dance types, sure, there may be room for you.”
You may comply with Travis Lim on Instagram: @travis_lim_ent.
By Monique Jackson of Dance Informa.
