Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofie Loeken.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sofie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Norway. A small country in Northern Europe, known for our cold weather and expensive coffee. Growing up music played a huge part of my life, my mom was obsessed with Bob Marley and Michael Jackson and our house constantly had a rhythm flowing though it. MTV was our family’s favorite channel. (Back when there were only music videos all day long). I was glued in front of the TV whenever Janet Jackson, Britney Spears or Destiny’s Child appeared, replicating their moves and performing in home-made copies of their costumes.
I didn’t start taking dance class until the age of 16. – But from then on, I went all in. Taking class every day: eating, breathing and sleeping DANCE. I didn’t think I could possibly make a career out of it, but the passion was so strong that it really didn’t matter. All I wanted to do was dance.
Eventually, one thing leads to another and my hard work turned into living the dream I never even dared to dream. After being a Semi-Finalist in Norway’s got Talent with my dance crew: Werkin’ Girls, my career kicked off and I received opportunities I never imagined possible. My life consisted of working for Norway’s most popular TV shows, dancing on live television every week, touring the country with theatre dance companies, and shooting commercials and music videos became ordinary events. I was choreographing and dancing for some of the most established artists in Norway. This all taught me to actually dare to dream as big as I could, so I did just that.
I finally admitted to the world and to myself that I dreamed of living and dancing in LA. After an intricate visa-process, it was finally approved. – And I was more than ready, physically and mentally to take on this challenge that I knew awaited me.
I moved to LA in 2018, and every day has shown me that this was the right decision.
This truly is the land of opportunity. Never had I though that this Norwegian girl would get to perform on the Voice, Jimmy Fallon or the BET- awards. Nor would I have imagined getting the chance to dance behind artists like Cardi B, Anitta, and Hailee Steinfeld. Although this is probably what most people will look at when it comes to my journey so far in LA. – It is really not about the big names or the pretty facade to me. The base of my happiness are the simplest things: dancing everyday, consistent inspiration, doing yoga under the sun, having friends that I consider family, 3 dollar instant coffee from Ralph’s, and biking with reggae music in my ears. The opportunities come and go, but finding the happiness in my lifestyle has become my mission. And by doing so, I could not feel more accomplished or successful.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The life of an artist is filled with challenges and obstacles, it is a true rollercoaster. There are of coarse the day-to-day challenges like: money, injuries, self-doubt and fear. But these are all struggles that are a part of every artist’s life and we learn to deal with it.
With that being said, my hardest struggle was definitely moving to the US. Not only is getting the O-1 Visa, also called the visa for individuals with extraordinary abilities, extremely hard. It’s also about the risk I took when I moved. Leaving behind a career and a dream- life that I had spent years constructing, just to start over from scratch, was a risk and a struggle in itself.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a professional dancer, specialized in Urban Street Dance and Commercial Dance. My base is Hip Hop and I have spent years training in various street-styles. As soon as I started working as a professional dancer, I discovered that I molded my style to the occasion. But I always keep the foundation of my training to give it an extra edge and personality.
What sets me apart from others in my field is ME. I am unique in my personality, my work ethic, my heart and my passion. Dance is art, so it’s not only about what you do but how you do it. And that all comes down to your personality: how you express it to the audience, and how you make them feel.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
As a child, I once heard this saying “Luck comes to a prepared mind”. A quote that I took with me and I till this day repeat over and over in my head whenever times are tough. I really believe that this is true and that we all encounter luck/ lucky moments all the time throughout our lives. But only when we are prepared will the luck team up with the preparation and give results. In that moment, everyone else around can see it and will think that you were just lucky: When in fact the opportunity would have passed you by and not lead to any reality or results without the preparation.
I say that I’m lucky all the time, and I truly believe that I am. But I also believe that my luck only shines though based on my preparation and work before the opportunity even arose.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sofieloken.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Eduard Asaturov
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