BIO
Chae-Eun Yang was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in the coastal town of Chungcheongnam-do. From the age of seven, she became interested in dance. She attended SunHwa Arts School before enrolling in the Korea National University of Arts. In her third year of university, she received a contract to join the Houston Ballet. She immigrated to Houston, where she continues to live. Besides a brief stint with the National Ballet of Canada, she has remained a professional dancer with the prestigious Houston Ballet. In this interview, she discusses her upbringing under parents who let her follow her interests, navigating competitive dance culture from youth to adulthood, and encountering cultural differences when acclimating to American studios. She defines herself as a “Korean living in America” as she reflects on her Korean heritage, her love for rice cakes, and the maintenance of relationships with her family and home country. She expands on daily life in the studio, travel, critics, and what makes a good dancer. Lastly, she shares her hopes for expanding the traditional conception of beauty, particularly in the Korean American community.