We interview Evy about her first dance season with her hip-hop solo. Evy is not only a passionate dancer, but also a radiant personality who always has a smile on her face.
I felt the choreography was truly written for me.
How did the process of creating your solo choreography feel?
Beforehand I thought the coach would create most of it and simply teach me the choreography. But once we got started, I noticed the choreography was designed through collaboration with the coach. That way you really discover what your strengths are and where you still need to practise. I felt the choreography was truly written for me.
Did you enjoy your solo competitions?
I definitely enjoyed the competitions. Of course it's nice when you have supporters with you, but even when you're backstage on your own it's fun. You meet a lot of people and I even made friends with some of my competitors. That way there are always people around who support you, even if you don't have your own fans with you. I noticed how important it is to be sporting with one another and how good it feels when you genuinely wish each other success.
Do you feel you have grown through solo dancing?
I definitely feel I have grown as a dancer. I can see it in every area: stage experience, the choreography itself, my expression. It is mainly because you receive feedback about yourself specifically. With group feedback it is more general. With the personal feedback from the jury I could really tell where I still needed to work, and I learnt more about my qualities as a dancer.
I noticed how important it is to be sporting with one another and how good it feels when you genuinely wish each other success.
Did you experience any difficulties or fears? Have you overcome them?
Of course there are struggles too, but those are perfectly normal. The biggest difficulty was the stress, but that comes with the territory. I call it healthy stress. At first I was scared of going to a competition alone, but that really isn't necessary. Everyone there is friendly and sporting.
Any tips for new solo dancers?
If you don't like sitting alone during the prize ceremony, dare to ask other dancers whether you can sit with them. I have never met anyone who said no. I know it's not always fun to score lower, but that's part of it. Don't be disappointed in yourself — see it as something that can help you improve. Follow the jury's feedback closely. Practise, practise and practise again — that really is key. Lots of rehearsal of your solo is so important. Once you know the steps, you can build on other things like expression, more dynamics and extra depth. Also make sure you register quickly, because competitions sometimes fill up very fast.