Ethereal music greets you as you walk into the dance studio. Singaporean dancer Megan Sophie Lau arches her back and tilts her head upwards, almost as if she were posing for a self-portrait. She closes her eyes and absorbs the tempo of the music. And then, she begins to dance.
Lau’s body flows with the music, gracefully emoting each beat and every drag of the song. She effortlessly chains together a combination of spins and jumps, leaving milliseconds between each jump, creating the illusion of a girl floating gently in the air. Lau touches the ground again and slides into a cheery, confident halt.
You can catch a glimpse of Lau’s new choreography, only available to students of her new contemporary dance class at One Dance Asia.
“I’ve been dancing almost every day since I was five. It’s a bit weird if I don’t dance now, even if it’s just for fun,” admits Lau as she stretches her legs in preparation to teach her class.
When she first started, Lau joined ballet as an extra-curricular activity because her parents thought it was an excellent avenue to teach her discipline.
“My parents used to tell me that I was a defiant kid. I was always running around and causing trouble. Sending me off to ballet class was their only chance to escape my nonsense,” jokes Lau.
As she grew up, so did her passion for ballet. Lau began going for advanced classes in ballet and contemporary dance with much older dancers than she was. Initially, she thought that the seniors were going to be the stereotypical snarky ballet girls. “But they were actually really welcoming and helpful when I first joined.,” she says.
At the peak of her dancing career, Lau prepared for international dance competitions while studying for her O-Level examinations in 2016. She struggled between studying for her examinations and preparing for the competitions, which entailed choreography, directing lights, and designing costumes.
“Being a student and a dancer at the same time felt like I was living a double life. It was exciting, but also really tiring,” says Lau.
“I thought of choreography and costumes during class and studied during dance practices. I was a mess.”
“There were many nights where I’d lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep. There was too many things running through my mind,” recounts Lau, as she looks up at the ceiling.
“You could say that I was lucky. My parents were always supportive of my dance ambitions, and were ready to help. It took a lot of the weight off my shoulders.”
Lau’s mother was the “secret to (her) success”. She was always available to drive Lau wherever she needed to go, be it school, dance classes, or extra tuition. Lau mentions that her mum would spend upwards of four hours a day driving her around Singapore. Even when Lau had to go overseas for competitions, her mum would willingly follow to support her daughter.
“I don’t know what I would have done without her,” says Lau.
“But she was kind of ruthless too. She’d constantly threaten me that she would pull me out of dance if I didn’t do well in school.”
“I guess that’s why I studied as hard as I did. I loved to dance, and I didn’t want to stop,” says Lau, as her passion for dance seeps through her cheeky smile.
When Lau competed in international competitions in 2016, she won Dancer of the Year at the Rainbow Dance Competition in Los Angeles and Senior Champion of Champions in GETTHEBEAT Australia. Since then, Lau has reduced the number of competitions she has participated in. Despite honing her skills over the years, Lau says that she doesn’t find the thrill in competing anymore but still loves exploring all dance offers.
“Dance is the physical expression of your being, not competition. That’s what I tell people when they ask, but honestly, I don’t like getting scrutinized by judges,” jokes Lau.
With a little break in her cheerful nature, Lau adds: “school has gotten a lot more hectic ever since I went to junior college. And now that I’m in university, I just don’t have the time to compete anymore.”
Last year, Lau enrolled at the National University of Singapore to pursue a degree in Arts and Social Science. You would think that she has decided to take on a degree because it’s the more stable route that most Singaporeans would take, but her reasoning differs.
“I came to university because I didn’t want dance to be my main job in the future,” says Lau.
When she was a child, having a career as a dancer was her dream. Currently, Lau doesn’t want to be bogged down with the details of being a professional dancer. However, dance is something to be enjoyed and not something to be stressed over.
“I love where I am in life now, where I can dance for fun and express myself through it without worrying. I’m scared I’ll lose my passion if I had the pressure of dance as my main source of income,” says Lau.
As Lau exudes quiet confidence underneath her chipper exterior, you begin to understand how powerful her character is. Lau has many achievements and yet remains grounded and humble.
“Teaching a class at One Dance Asia has been the perfect middle ground for me. I get to grow as a choreographer and pass on my dance knowledge to the kids,” says Lau. A playful grin lights up her demeanor as she continues: “The money’s pretty good too. A side hustle to fund my university life.”
Lau encourages everyone to pursue their passions. Be it in dance or any other area, Lau adds that embracing her passion has added a lot of color and motivation into her life, something she wishes all Singaporeans could experience as well.
“I’ve always wanted to be a professional dancer, and now I’m a dance instructor. It’s not what I expected when I was a kid, but I really enjoy what I do now,” says Lau.
“You don’t have to be able to earn big bucks for you to do what you love. There’s nothing wrong with doing something just because you enjoy doing it.”
As the interview comes to a close, Lau asks if you’d like to join the class that’s about to start. You accept. Lau stands in front of the class of amateur dancers, oozing confidence as she speaks. A woman in her element. Lau leaps with unwavering certainty and trust in her body, achievable after spending years practicing and conditioning. And with each spin and twirl, she brings forth the encapsulating grace of dance. That is the confidence and elegance of Megan Sophie Lau.
Comments