Conversations with Irene Lo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Irene Lo.

Hi Irene, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started dancing at the age of seven (Chinese art dance, ballet, contemporary) and had competed in the National Student Dance Competition in Taiwan for the category of Chinese Folk Dance. I was with the Chinese Art Dance Ensemble and had performed with them at many International Art Dance Festivals in Europe. I entered a music-gifted class for three years in high school and got a BFA in voice at the National Taiwan Normal University, majoring in voice and minoring in piano. After graduation, I went to New York to study musical theater at AMDA (American Music and Dance Academy), where I encountered acting for the first time. Graduated AMDA, the pandemic hit and I went back to Taiwan for a whole two years. There, I joined the Taiwan Ballet Company as an artist and had performed with them at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Weiwuying as a soloist (singer) with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra. I also joined Genio Dance Group (Flamenco de Formosa) and had performed with them at the National Taichung Theater as a flamenco dancer. In 2022, I was back in the States and had performed in NYC, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, I also sung the National Anthem at the Citi Field on Mets Taiwan Day!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Originally from Taiwan, I wasn’t confident in my English. I’m always worried about my accent, especially when it comes to acting in English. I’m already a shy girl back in Taiwan and when it comes to acting in English on stage without singing and dancing, I got pretty awkward at times. To solve that, I went to a lot of American standard reviews back at AMDA and worked on my accent really hard. I was even taking online classes with my teacher during the pandemic after graduation. My teacher told me if I don’t correct my accent, the only jobs I’ll be getting will solely be the Asian roles, which are all I get during my first year back in the States. Yet I kept working on it and this year (the second year), I got my first non-Asian role at a professional theater!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I do musical theater, singer, dancer, and actor. I specialized in Chinese Art Dance, which is something I’m most proud of. I’m able to bring in something that’s very original from my own culture and show the world the beauty of Chinese Art Dance. I’m also a very diverse performer who goes from classical opera (played Amahl in. the <Amahl and the Night Visitors>/Taipei Opera Theater) and classical dance repertoire (Flamenco <El Amor Brujo> / Genio Dance Group at the National Taichung Theater) to modern Rock & Roll commercial, Amazing Show – Golden Spirit / in partnership with the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee & Taiwan Beer, being the dance captain.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Never stop seeking opportunities and don’t limit yourself! I flew back to Taiwan for the pandemic and surprisingly, I found flamenco! When I first saw the audition notice about looking for flamenco dancers for Genio Dance Group’s upcoming production at the National Taichung Theater, I was debating whether to submit myself or not since I’ve never done flamenco before. I’ve done ballet, Chinese Art Dance, contemporary, jazz, theater dance and tap, but never flamenco. Yet. I figured there’s nothing else to do at the moment so I decided to give it a try. After three months of training with the company, I successfully passed the audition and joined them at the big stage, which is featured on Melómano, one of the most important music magazines in Spain. This is something I never would have imagined in my life. Who would have thought my first time performing at a National Opera House would be playing the role of Gitano as a flamenco dancer? So always allow yourself the opportunity to try new things!

Contact Info:

• Website: irenelo.com
• Instagram: irene.lo.yilin