As a kindergartener, junior Jason Ting was forced to take dance classes by his mom and continued for six years until fifth grade.
As the years went by, he never really warmed to the activity and eventually stopped doing it. But later, as a sophomore, a friend convinced him to begin dancing again at On One Studios, a dance studio in San Jose.
That’s when everything changed for him. He found himself loving to dance as the welcoming community there motivated him to improve.
Since then, he has continued dancing as a way to relieve stress and take his mind off problems. Before the start of second semester last year, Ting signed up for a dance intensive where he took three dance classes in one day. It made him realize how happy dance made him feel and made him forget any other troubles he had.
Dance has also completely changed his outlook on life, from the music he listens to to the clothes he wears.
“I started seeing a lot of things in my life differently,” Ting said. “It’s hard to describe, but there’s definitely a difference. And thanks to dance, I definitely feel a lot more comfortable with myself.”
Ting now does urban dance, otherwise known as street dance, a form that initially evolved outside of dance studios. He said he is inspired by urban dancers such as Ray Basa, Bryan Subijano, and Hilty and Bosch because he was able to experience many of their styles first hand, and they “really clicked with [him].”
Ting takes classes every Monday and going back to the community at On One drives him to become a better dancer.
At school Ting joined the male dance team last fall, which is in its first year.
“Ting is really passionate about dance. He’s been improving a lot as a dancer since he first started,” captain senior Nicholas Di said. “He’s the only junior on the team so next year he’s definitely going to step up into a bigger leading role.”
Ting’s parents support him as well, driving him to dance classes every week. They are supportive of him, but they just want him to “keep it as a hobby.”
Ting’s dancing has also increased his self-confidence, from body image to confidence in his future. His experience with teachers and other dancers at the studio made him realize the importance of dancing, and wants to continue to be part of a team during college as well.
“Dance has given me a lot of goals that I want to reach,” Ting said. “Originally I didn’t really know where I wanted to go with my life, but thanks to the people I’ve met through classes and the teachers I’ve taken class with, I started to develop a path to where I want to take myself and my dancing.”