A learner and a guest

Who I am

I am a Korean-American student and dancer engaged in an immersive experience to learn about Afro-Cuban dance in the United States. I approach this project as a learner and guest rather than as an expert representing these traditions. My work is informed by my experiences in classes, conversations, and observations throughout my time in NYC and Miami.

As a classically trained ballet dancer who also studies West African movement, I have become increasingly interested in how dance functions as a vessel of cultural memory across generations and geographies.

Where the project began

My interest deepened at the National High School Dance Festival, where a Cuban modern contemporary class introduced me to Afro-Cuban movement vocabulary grounded in rhythm, community, and ancestral memory. That experience shifted my understanding of technique from aesthetic precision to embodied history.

At Harvard-Westlake, dance has shaped both my artistry and my perspective. Under the mentorship of Mr. Schenk and Ms. Queala, I began to see choreography not simply as composition, but as storytelling and responsibility. I learned that movement carries lineage—it holds histories, struggles, and identities. This realization prompted me to question where the movement I use originates, who it belongs to, and how it can be shared ethically.

Why Afro-Cuban dance

I am particularly drawn to Afro-Cuban dance because it represents cultural resilience in motion. Rooted in African traditions and shaped by colonial history and diaspora, it embodies survival, adaptation, and continuity. Studying these forms within the United States diaspora allows me to explore how cultural traditions evolve outside their homeland while striving to maintain integrity.

I aspire to create work that honors its origins — contextualized, credited, and culturally grounded.

What I hope to carry home

Through this Fellowship, I hope to deepen not only my technical understanding but also my cultural literacy and ethical awareness as a choreographer. I aspire to create work that honors its origins and to return to Harvard-Westlake prepared to teach Afro-Cuban-informed movement in a way that is contextualized, credited, and culturally grounded. Ultimately, I seek to become an artist who approaches cross-cultural choreography with humility, knowledge, and responsibility.