Daily Inspiration: Meet Kelsey Ang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Ang.

Hi Kelsey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in the Philippines, raised in Hong Kong and then moved to LA to study Dance and Marketing at Loyola Marymount University. From my time at LMU studying two majors and being exposed to many facets of dance, performing arts, and the entertainment industry in LA, I became inspired by the multidisciplinary careers of artists.

My dance career has involved multiple roles from performing, choreographing, marketing, teaching, directing and running my own business. As a performer and choreographer, I have worked on projects from contemporary dance works, site-specific performances, music videos, events, fashion video campaigns and theme park entertainment. I also worked as a Marketing Associate and Dancing Through Parkinson’s Teaching Artist with the dance company Invertigo Dance Theatre. Since then, I have taught dance to people of all ages from 5-90 years old.

Just after graduating, I also started my own business – SHIFT Dance. SHIFT Dance is an international dance platform creating rich arts experiences to connect movers worldwide and shift the landscape of contemporary dance in Asia. It started as my dance senior thesis project and is now a business with several programs including a summer intensive, a contemporary dance pre-professional program, and open workshops.

Currently, I am developing a career mentorship program for young and emerging artists and working on creating my first full-length show which will premiere in 2023.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Pursuing a creative career path has been difficult because it is not a conventional career. Coming from an Asian family, I struggled with the expectation of my parents. I was told that dance is just a hobby, it is not a real job, you cannot make money from it and there are limited career choices. Trusting myself, believing in my own path and not relying on external validation is something that I am continuing to work on.

Another challenge is balancing the business and creative side of working as an artist. It is sometimes easy for me to get sucked into the freelance hustle for income and jobs that I don’t dedicate as much time as I would like to creating. Sometimes it can feel like I am just creating for the sake of doing a job or getting a project done instead of creating because I feel the need to express something and I think that it compromises the art.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Dancer, Choreographer, Educator, and Creative Director. As a performer and choreographer, I have worked on projects from contemporary dance works, site-specific performances, music videos, events, fashion video campaigns and theme park entertainment. I am also passionate about educating and mentoring the next generation of dance artists through my company SHIFT Dance. SHIFT Dance is an international dance platform creating rich arts experiences to connect movers worldwide and shift the landscape of contemporary dance in Asia. We host summer intensives, a contemporary dance pre-professional program, and workshops.

What matters most to you?
Having passion for what I do and being excited about life. I want to be excited about what I am doing so that I can continue to learn, grow and be curious. Everyone is unique and has different things that they are good at and they are passionate about. When pursuing their own passions, each person is able to bring value to the world in different ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kelseyang.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseyyangg/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/shift.dance/

Image Credits
Crispian Chan, Hyning Gan, Justin Tang