BACKGROUND
Surrounded by the performing arts since she was a baby, Jia had a fairly good understanding of what she wanted to do in life at an early age. Both parents were part of the Central Ballet Troupe (where they met and fell in love) and would often take their only daughter to watch the practices. Always full of energy, she loved to follow along, her little feet trying to keep up with their movements. Laughing and picking herself back up whenever she got carried away and fell. It was clear as day that she was going to follow in her parents’ footsteps, quite literally.
From the age of six up until she was ten, her days consisted of two things: school and dance lessons. Her parents had warned her that in order to become a dancer she had to be 100% committed. She was not. Although she loved dancing more than anything, Jia despised how demanding it was. After insistently begging for a year off from lessons with the promise that she’d apply herself and get in to the Beijing Dance Academy, she was free to hang out with friends and play to her heart’s content. Once her year of freedom was over, she buckled down and made good on her promise.
As it turns out the academy was much worse. She lasted two years before she began skipping lessons. Along with a couple of friends, she spent her time on the streets, in arcades, and occasionally in an abandoned warehouse. It was there that she was introduced to hip hop and was instantly drawn to the beat and heavy bass that resonated through her entire body. While she couldn’t be happier spending her time out on the streets, learning how to dance to hip-hop, the school was not as thrilled. Just before her fifteenth birthday they kindly informed her parents of her dismissal. Naturally they were furious.
Now teaching dance for a living, they could easily find jobs just about anywhere. They decided to move for her benefit, they said. To take her away from what they believed was the problem – her friends. The first job offer came from South Korea so to Seoul it was. Jia struggled with the language at first, but she still managed to make friends. Through them she discovered the wonders of Hongdae. The music scene was just amazing. Whenever she wasn’t at school you could bet she was there, watching the street performers and even sneaking into shows. There was no doubt in her mind she would be attending Hongik University. So when she decided to go to Yonsei instead, it took everyone by surprise, including her.
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