Pointe Shoes Program
FEATURED DANCER
GRACE TIANGCO
GRACE TIANGCO
Our featured dancer of the week is Grace Tiangco.
She specializes in ballet, jazz, hip hop, salsa, dancing, and belly dancing.
Grace has been able to create an incredible dance career for herself as a professional dancer on cruise ships.
Not only is she able to dance for a living, but she is able to travel the world.
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How long have you been dancing for?
I've been dancing for 24 years, my mother put me in class starting age 4!
Professionally dancing only the last 5 years.
What styles of dance do you specialize in?
Ballet will always be my heart and soul, and my favorite! But I've
been trained and enjoy almost everything to jazz, hip hop, salsa
dancing, and belly dancing.
What made you want to start dancing?
Since I was so young, I guess I found a love for it when my mom
put me in classes! I tried lots of different things at a
young age- piano, violin lessons, tap dance, ballet, gymnastics,
soccer. Once I fell in love with ballet, I dropped everything else.
Even though it's consumed most of my life as a passion and hobby, I
didn't decide to pursue it professionally until my senior year of college.
What has been your greatest accomplishment on your dance career?
To be able to see so much of the world traveling with a dance career.
What has been your most memorable moment?
Gosh there are so many! Memorable moments in my dance career... well I
guess it would have to be when I was the lead or had some spotlight in
shows. I was Cinderella my senior year of high school even with a last
minute injury days before, I was still able to dance!
It was quite special. This past year I've been blessed with a great
job as the lead adage girl on cruiseship shows. I've learned so many
new partner skills, lifts and tricks and being able to show those off
to an audience is quite memorable and rewarding as well.
What has been your greatest challenge?
There are a number of challenges in a professional dancers life...
I guess one would be facing and dealing with rejection while
auditioning. That can be tough in the beginning, it's hard to not take
things personal but honestly you just have to push through and keep
going until you land something! Another is just keeping up a nice
balance between being happy with your passions and making $ to
survive. The instability of an artist career is always a challenge.
What advice would you give to other dancers?
As cheesy as it is, just follow your heart! Whether it be to pursue a
career in the arts or not, pursue a certain dance style or job over
the other. Remember why you dance and remember that it is your passion
and makes you happy when times get tough with the lifestyle. Network a
lot, and explore different dance styles, classes, and studios.
Do you have a unique story to share about your dance career?
Let us know! Email us at Kathleen@danzia.com to be featured!
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