ARAH OWH GRACES THE STAGE.
It’s true; she’s no stranger to packed arenas and screaming audiences. Only one year into her professional dance career, Arah’s already performed for some of the city’s biggest television programs and international events—Miss Hong Kong, The Gay Games, King Maker, to name a few. The Hong Kong-born Korean dancer has appeared in concerts, Canto-pop music videos (search for “SPYLING” by Sumling, and Arah is there!), and flash mobs at Pacific Place Mall. With a long list of performances under her belt, it’s easy to see why she can’t be confined to a singular dance genre: “I'm a mix of jazz-funk, girls hip hop, and choreography,” she says. Arah was also a member of AYO CREW HK Batch 23, a dance collective that came 2nd place in World of Dance Hong Kong. You can find her regularly teaching dance classes in Neverland Studio. Here are her recommendations on THE CHOW:
Watching the dance reels of Bada Lee and Wootae 📱📲
I use social media a lot for inspiration. I'm always on Instagram looking at dance reels and even K-pop dance challenges. Right now, my number one inspiration is Bada Lee, she’s one of the most famous choreographers in Korea. I want to dance like her, but I think it I have different phases of liking different creators. (My OG is definitely Wootae).
Running with the ladies 🏃🏻♀️🏃🏽♀️🏃🏼♀️ (She Runs Collective HK)
Dancing already is full on cardio, but I still try to do other workouts. My friend recently introduced me She Runs Collective Club. It's a women’s run club every Monday. I thought I’d have to pay to join but it’s for free! That really amazes me. I’ve only been there once, but I really do want to continue running with the ladies. It’s a very, very safe community.
Keeping money in the bank 🏦 … and buying from Taobao 🛍️
I’ve actually been trying to save up recently. I’ve been keeping money in my bank account and resisting spending it. I want to start paying for my own rent but living in Hong Kong is really really expensive. And honestly as a dancer, it's quite hard because pay is very unstable sometimes.
I think I use Taobao… a lot. The only thing I need is dance clothes. Taobao has a lot of good material, and it’s really cheap. Sometimes I’ll go to thrift stores too (and look at bags). And right now I'm looking for more comfortable but also aesthetically pleasing dance shoes.
Hee Wan Cafe in Mong Kok ☕
A LOT of dancers go to Cha Chaan Tengs after rehearsals—it’s just the routine. After class we’d all ask each other, which Cha Chaan Teng are we going to? Because it always opens till late, and it's also very cheap. There's one in Mong Kok called Hee Wan, that one's the one that almost all dancers go to.
The fried maan tau in Hai Di Lao 🍞♨️
We (dancers) go to Hai Di Lao a lot. After a performance, we always go for hotpot and eat till like 6am. (It’s so bad). My favorite? The maan tau with condensed milk… sooo good.
