Performing in rooms of 80+ people has allowed Lai to relinquish her perfectionism and just have fun.
Lai finds there are “no limitations” to dance in Los Angeles, allow- ing all ages and people to dance together.
Yumi Lai ’27, a member of Hypnotiq (Hypno), Andover’s hip-hop dance group and the Asian Performing Arts Club (APAC), started her dance journey at just eight years old. She experimented with lyrical, jazz, and ballet dance, but it was a twist of fate during the pandemic that sparked her passion for hip-hop.
“After Covid-19, I found hip-hop in L.A. and I just started going to classes, and I was having the time of my life, so that’s how I knew I loved hip-hop… I always watched dance videos on YouTube, and I was like ‘I want to be in that room.’ And getting to be filmed is something I always looked forward to because I love performing in front of other people, so once I watched those videos I was like, ‘That’s my goal,’” said Lai.
Lai soon found herself in the bustling heart of L.A., taking classes at major hip-hop studios like Playground L.A. and Millennium. However, during the initial stages of her hip-hop dance journey, Lai was presented with unfamiliar hurdles to overcome. She embraced a crucial lesson along the way: to allow her growth mindset and passion for dance to propel her forward.
“[Dancing in L.A.] was the first time I was really recorded, and there were times I forgot the dances on camera because I was nervous. It was definitely new to me, and I thought it would be easier than it was, but when there [are] 80 people watching you it’s definitely a little bit harder, especially if you’re just learning the dance in one hour… But I’ve learned it’s not about perfecting it, it’s about having fun. Those times, I was embarrassed that I forgot, but later I just improved my mindset into having fun and not worrying about choreography, and I think that’s the main point of dance,” said Lai.
Lai expressed how dance performances can act as a language of emotion more than just physical movements of the body. Influenced by the music, Lai brings her own unique approach to showing her stage presence, emphasizing how facial expressions deepen her connection with the audience. In doing so, she contributes to the creation of a closely-knit community within the world of dance.
“Once you step into the room of 100 people ready to dance, you just get this serotonin… Music is a big part of dance, and that one second where you hear the music you’re going to be dancing to, it just makes you so excited and happy to dance, and everyone is so supportive… You need that energy and all those facial expressions to make it interesting. I think that also relates to connecting with music. Depending on the music, it changes your facial expressions and makes it more captivating to other people,” said Lai.
Despite Lai’s relatively short time at Andover so far, her energy has already been recognized by several of her peers. Mayumi Kawano ’25, a fellow dancer in Hypno, shed light on Lai’s strengths as a dancer, particularly how her energetic personality is reflected through dance.
“She has a lot of energy and puts a lot of power into her moves which ends up looking very clean, and she has fun dancing. Overall, she has a very technical and beautiful way of performing… She’s a very bubbly and lively person, and you can tell that through her dances, it’s always very full of energy and very popping, and you can just tell how much she enjoys it,” said Kawano.
