Eagle Era

How Gianna Lee (10) is shaping dance at AHS and beyond through choreography and leadership 

By Jovina Zion Pradeep

Like many AHS students, Gianna Lee (10) grew up jamming to her favorite songs and binging her favorite movies, which, for her, were all in the K-pop genre. What began as a childhood interest later turned AHS into her stage. 

Without any formal training, Lee taught herself how to dance by imitating dances she saw online alongside her sister, slowly developing her own style through repetition and observation. “I would constantly watch K-pop performances sitting in my mom’s restaurant as a child. My sister and I would learn dances and practice together, having fun trying to copy the dances in the videos,” said Lee. 

Lee first stepped into choreography during her freshman year at AHS, when she choreographed a K-pop dance for the Class of 2028 Spirit Week rally. “That performance is what I believe jump-started my career as a choreographer because people began to notice my potential and skill in dancing,” said Lee. 

Since then, she has been offered opportunities to choreograph for International Week, Springfest, and other school productions. School rallies hold significance in Lee’s repertoire because they are rare opportunities for dedicated audiences to watch her dancing. 

“Without rallies, I wouldn’t have been able to show my dancing to the entire school,” Lee said. “During the rallies, everyone is always trying to keep their energy up, which boosts my confidence.”

Another choreographer, Caira Dong (10), noted Lee’s thoughtfulness during International Week in making sure that all dancers had a good experience. “Though Gianna wasn’t technically a choreographer for my group, she saw that our current position would have blocked the view of some dancers,” said Dong. “She rearranged all of them to be visible because she knows how important it is to be seen as a dancer.”  

“I find Spirit Week interesting because I’m able to control everything—the music that we dance to, the choreography, and the formations. Dancing is something that you can do alone, without a studio, but I liked how synchronized we were to do that together,” said Lee (Photo Credit: Kai Sugano (12)).

Miley Chang (10), who Lee has taught for rallies, felt that Lee was thorough and supportive. “She went in depth through all the steps and made sure that everyone was prepared,” Chang said. “I think that her versions of the dances for the rallies are often better than the originals.” 

Lee continues to expand her role as a dance mentor by volunteering weekly at the New Life Korean School, where she assists in classes and teaches K-pop dances to 4- and 5-year-olds.       

“It’s the only place where I often speak Korean,” she said. “I’m preparing them to perform for their parents at the end of the semester. I want the kids who are interested to start somewhere, since even just learning dance at your local Korean school could kickstart your dancing career one day.” 

Lee also teaches young children to dance at the New Life Church, choreographing Korean dances for Christmas and Easter services for the Korean community there. “I never had younger siblings, so I enjoy organizing dances for the youth at church,” said Lee. “Seeing how much they want to perfect a dance at their age is heartwarming.”

Lee’s Korean culture remains central to her identity as a dancer. “Korean media and K-pop are what influenced me,” she said. “If I wasn’t Korean, I don’t think I would have the same opportunities or skills that I have now.”     

While she enjoys dancing with her friends, Lee turned to AHS’s American DanceX club (ADX+) for dancers at her own skill level. “Since there’s an audition process for their dance team ADX+, people with a lot of talent are selected, and there are great dancers in the club,” said Lee. “Being able to have an environment with dancers who can absorb my choreography faster makes the performances look better and is more fun.” 

Isabel Mendoza (10), a member of AHS ADX+, found herself mesmerized by Lee’s performance. “I was awestruck when I first saw Gianna dance,” said Mendoza. “You can see her charisma, confidence, and simply how happy she is whenever she dances.” 

Many members of the AHS dance community find Lee’s commitment to the craft inspiring. Michelle Ho (10), who worked with Lee to choreograph for rallies in the past, said, “Her passion motivates me to work toward my own goals as a dancer. It’s hard to find one thing to be that passionate about, and discovering it early is valuable for her.” 

Lee continues to improve and challenge her own physical limitations. “Whenever I try a new set routine and dance to it, I feel accomplished when I complete it,” she said. “That feeling is what motivates me, and it’s why I lean towards hip-hop for my own practice.” 

“I performed at last year’s Fine Arts Fair with ADX+ after I got in through auditioning. It’s a great opportunity for me to experiment with complex choreography that I can’t do with opportunities like Spirit Week, which are meant to be accessible for all sorts of dancers,” said Lee (Photo Credit: Darren Guo (10)).

Lee constantly seeks settings that allow for more creative freedom, and AHS’s Fine Arts Fair captured her attention for the ability to curate her own team. “I liked getting to choose who I danced with,” Lee said. “The feeling of knowing that my friends were in the audience cheering me on and having lights in my face to forget everything else for the moment was incredible.” 

As a self-taught dancer, Lee hopes to help people discover their passion for dance regardless of their available resources. “Dance can be really expensive, and I didn’t have those resources, so I made the most of what I had,” said Lee. “I want people to know that if you care enough about something, you will find a way to pursue it.”

In a world with a commonly sedentary lifestyle, Lee encourages others to experience the thrill of physical movement through dancing. “Every day, most people are sitting or standing for hours,” Lee said. “Dancing for fun is something that everyone should do since it’s so freeing to be able to move your body however you want; there’s always a good excuse to dance, like being happy or eating good food.”