We had the good fortune of connecting with Dahyun Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dahyun, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Since I was a child art in any form- music, writing, drawing, dancing- lived close to who I am as a human being. That is one of the many things I am grateful for in my upbringing from my parents. I have had different phases in which I would write, draw, sing, act, produce, choreograph, and dance to express myself and realize the creative ideas brewing inside me. In this sense, my identity as a creative has always been one of my core that makes me who I am. Looking back, I must say that that was why even though during my teenage years in Korea my environment was pushing me away from pursuing an artistic career or even engaging in the arts at all, I always found a way to go back to it. It is something that I cannot live without, and I wanted to make sure that I never loose my connection to arts- because that would mean I lose a part of myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I humbly say that all artists, especially artists of NYC, never have it easy. I also believe that this fact makes us even greater artists. Despite all the hardships that we face, we still choose to be artists everyday.

My path as a dancer has not been easy in the sense that I started my training and professional career much later than others. I had a lot more to ‘catch up on’ in terms of technique, culture within a dance community, social cues within a rehearsal space, and the necessity of being your best advocate. I had to be twice as sharp and hardworking to barely scratch the surface of what my peers were doing naturally. This mentality in the beginning helped me immensely to pick up new information constantly from dancers around me. Truly, dancers’ bodies are teachers on their own, and every dancer in the room are masters of movement in their own senses. However, there was a limit to which this mentality was able to help with my artistic development. When I progressed in my journey to be a Masters student in Tisch, I had to realize that I must trust my own body and knowledge I have accumulated. I need to mentally block messages from the society or even the dance industry that I am not enough/ I am not doing enough. I am a believer that dance is for everyone. If dance truly is for everyone, I must acknowledge my own dance to be what it is without judgement. There is always room to achieve greatness while recognizing your own worth.

My art always derives from my own interests and inquiries as a human being. Recently, I have been building a series of choreography dedicated towards Korean culture, to break the stereotype about Korean people and our art. If you are of any Asian descent living in the U.S., you will hear at least once how ‘nice’, ‘hardworking’, ‘quiet’, and ‘zen’ we are. While these are compliments indeed, it is a very limiting feeling to only be characterized with these attributes. All humans have many different sides, and the same is to be said about Korean culture. There exists Korean art forms that are ‘zen’, still, and peaceful, while there are others that are up at your face, rigorous, and exciting. I am quite proud of this movement I am creating with my creations, to be able to use my art in a way that helps shift the image about Korean culture. In WADE’s 2024 production in November 25th, I will be presenting a premiering ensemble piece. I am very excited to be transferring this movement to a group of talented dancers. Be on the lookout for ticket info!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I am a New Yorker, so I would definitely suggest going to the Met not necessarily to watch all the pieces, but to enjoy the architecture. Having a glass of wine at their American Wing, doing absolutely nothing, is a vibe. Definitely would go to New York Public Library when we are having a chill day to just sort out some itinerary and read a book, cause I love the building and the atmosphere inside. I hate going anywhere near 42nd st, but sure I will go with them for a single photo at the red staircase and watch a musical (but only by buying the ticket through lottery!). The parks throughout the different boroughs are also gorgeous no matter what the season, such as Gantry Park Plaza, Central Park, and Prospect Park. I am definitely dragging them to a club with house music, cause those parties are always friendly to everyone. For food, we would go to Flushing for authentic Korean food, Chinatown, and Ktown in Manhattan cause of course you need to go if you are touring NYC. Tompkin Bagels, Lysee NYC, Cha-an, and Remi Flower & Coffee are some coffee/bagel/dessert places that I recommend checking out at least once!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I always attribute my success to my parents- Wooyoung Kim & Yoonna Lee, who have always been there for me and supported me no matter what. This seems like such a classic thing to say as a ‘shoutout’, but wholeheartedly I believe that my parents have been and always will be the biggest contributor to my life. I want to give a shoutout to my friends -Seoul Park, Chaewon Jeong, Claudia Hoyan Jung, Tran Minh Hoang, Minhwan Kim, Yeongjoo Seo, Jiyoung Im, Jordan Brookins, Leyona Oyama, and Lu Wang who have been there during hard times when I could not push myself out of hard experiences. Even though they might not realize it, they have so much of my heart for being my support system when I felt like I did not have anybody. I am thankful for mentors, teachers, and professors- Taesung Kwon, Esl Kim, Austin J. Eyer, Michele Dunleavy, Aquila Kikora Franklin, Giada Matteini, Inda Mariana, and my Philosophy 002 professor in PSU. They all found something special in me when I did not think I have one, and mentors who have the ability to see such things in students are truly the great ones. I want to shoutout Rogue Wave for believing in me to choose me as their Resident Choreographer in 2023 at Fall for Fall Dance Festival, and WADE Dance Inc for incorporating me into a movement towards reshaping our reality.

Website: http://www.dahyunkim.info

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dahyun_dancer/

Image Credits
(1), (3) John Eng, Courtesy of WADE Dance Inc (2) John Braile, during Queensboro Dance Festival 2023 (4) Shannel J. Resto, during Fall for Fall Dance Festival (5) Lili (Luyan Li), during Our Canvas 2023 (6) Michelle G Hunder

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