Internationally renowned choreographer and dancer Rina Chae never wanted kids. She thought motherhood would be too much responsibility and threaten the dance career she worked so hard to build.
But by the time she and husband Zed Nufable found themselves unexpectedly pregnant, Rina had come around to the idea of parenting and even had some reassuring words from a superstar who has fiercely juggled showbiz with babies – Beyoncé!
Rina was in rehearsals for Queen Bey’s 2014 MTV Video Music Awards performance when the two shared a meaningful chat.
“She sang about her baby and everybody was in tears, and afterwards I said, ‘That was so moving!'” Rina, 40, recalls. “She was like, ‘Babies hold such a special place’, and I said, ‘I do think about that, but there’s this whole fear about what would it do to my journey’. She said that it’s a challenge and we had this cool woman-to-woman talk.”
With Beyoncé at the 2014 VMAs.
It was food for thought for Korean-born Rina, who says cultural expectations such as starting a family and pursuing academic professions were something she defied growing up. In Korea, she was expected to follow in her doctor parents’ footsteps, but moving to Aotearoa at age 10 came with newfound freedom.
Rina loved dance, however, it never occurred to her as a career until a teacher noticed and encouraged her talent. Joining street dance crews and signing with an agency, she was soon performing in theatre productions and TV commercials. She then landed a cheerleading contract with the NZ Breakers while studying performing arts.
By her twenties, Rina was choreographing fashion shows, music videos and musicals, but wanting to grow as a dancer, she moved to Los Angeles in 2009.
Taking classes and working hard to gain exposure, Rina landed a national vodka commercial within weeks, then a Las Vegas gig. But she began to struggle with being typecast.
“I was still young – absorbing, growing and forming who I was as an artist – but they wanted to typecast me as that ‘hot Asian dancer’. I wasn’t enjoying jobs, and it led to mental ups and downs, where I didn’t book anything for months. But that’s when I grew the most because I worked on going, ‘OK, who am I then?’ and finding myself.”
With her goals becoming clearer, Rina was about to kick off a run of amazing projects, including a music video for NeYo, when her mum Rosa Nan Chae called, saying she was unwell. Rina dropped everything to fly home. Rosa thankfully recovered and while relishing family time, Rina experienced an epiphany to “enjoy me and celebrate life”, while lying in the ocean at Takapuna Beach.
Taking that mantra back to Hollywood, she suddenly had the best professional years of her life, touring with singer Kat Graham, dabbling in music and working with choreographers she idolised.
However, she remained picky with jobs and turned down the chance to appear in Beyoncé’s Run The World (Girls) video because she was taking some much-needed time off. “Can you believe I said no? I’m a freak!” she laughs.
Rina was also booked for an awards show performance with Beyoncé in Las Vegas but declined for a better-paying commercial. Next, she was shortlisted for the singer’s Super Bowl performance but missed out.
“I was heartbroken and went, ‘Screw this!'”
While looking into flights to move home, an email came through offering a national commercial and a gig with Justin Bieber at the Billboard Music Awards, so Rina stayed in LA – and eventually landed the MTV VMAs job with Beyoncé.
It was a perfect end to Rina’s US chapter, before moving home, where she became inundated with dance jobs, including choreography for X Factor NZ mentor and musician Vince Harder.
She also reconnected with Zed, a 44-year-old dancer who has worked alongside Rihanna and Selena Gomez. The two had danced together during their youth and following Rina’s NZ return. Finding love, they opened En Beat Dance Academy – which offers street, commercial and K-Pop classes – in 2020 and married in 2022.
Their three-year-old son ZoWon has inherited their dance genes and loves to boogie to James Brown. Rina was dancing within five days of giving birth and says continuing to work “saved my mentals” while adjusting to motherhood.
Rina and Zed’s son ZoWon is following in their footsteps.
Passionate about helping other dancers find their way, Rina recently brought Aotearoa’s top dancers together for the Red Bull Dance Your Style event, where 16 Kiwis battled it out in styles such as waacking and krumping. Winner Happy Feet will represent NZ at the world final in Germany.
Rina and Zed also have a dance battle series, KPA Battlesquad, premiering 26 June on TVNZ 2, and are preparing for the academy’s first major showcase production in October. As well, Rina’s working with Korean music labels as they scout for the next K-Pop stars.
Rina’s looking for the next big K-Pop stars.
“I’m jealous!” she jokes about the opportunities young Kiwi dancers have through avenues such as her academy – something she lacked growing up. “But it’s great these dancers aren’t just being looked at by the New Zealand community, but worldwide.”
