Seth Leung

From dancing in national competitions to participating in boys dance, dance has always played a significant role in freshman Seth Leung’s life. Experienced in hip hop, tap and jazz, Leung finds dance to be a necessary retreat from the stress that may accompany schoolwork.

“I just do it for fun, because it’s very relaxing,” Leung said. “You stop thinking about homework and school — when you dance, you’re in the zone.”

Leung’s most avid supporter is his mom, who enrolled him in dance classes at the age of eight and encouraged him to continue dancing when he grew frustrated. Leung initially began with learning hip hop and was introduced to tap when he was ten. He grew to enjoy dancing more over the years, gradually spending more time each week taking classes.

Two years ago, Leung started attending dance competitions, which consist of various master classes where participants can learn new styles of dance. Although he has only attended a couple competitions, Leung has already garnered various scholarships and awards for group dances.

As a male dancer, Leung has had to grapple with a lack of confidence at times, due to the stigma around boys in the dance community. However, Leung finds that, in general, dancing has increased his confidence and helped his mental health, as he is able to take time each day to do what he loves.

“I feel like dance has helped my confidence in a lot of ways, and I do hope to share it with other people in the future,” Leung said.

Leung looks forward to continuing to dance in the future, especially throughout college.

“Dance is a way of expressing yourself without words,” Leung said. “That’s my favorite part about dance — the way that you can show who you are to others.”