It was her sheer grit and determination that saw Kiwi dancer Rina Chae’s dream of performing with megastar Beyoncé finally come true.
After two false starts – including one instance in which she had to turn down the opportunity to dance with the Crazy in Love singer – Rina was handpicked to join Queen Bey on stage at this year’s MTV Music Awards. Not only that, Rina scored prime position, right next to her!
“I moved to Los Angeles five years ago to chase my dreams. A lot of people who come here think they’re going to dance on stage with famous people, and the sad truth is that only a small percentage make it. I took a huge risk, for sure, and it paid off,” Rina smiles.
The former Auckland Blues cheerleader (31) was born into a family of medical professionals – her parents and two sisters are all doctors. And while she was encouraged to become one herself, Rina was determined to follow her heart and pursue her passion for dance, whatever it took. As a teen, she would tell her parents that she was hanging out with friends, while secretly attending hip-hop and jazz lessons.
Resisting family pressure to become a doctor, Rina danced her way from the ground up to perform with some of the world’s biggest stars.
“I was dancing and singing in school musicals. I knew I wanted to do this as a profession,” says Rina, who was born in South Korea and moved with her family to New Zealand when she was nine. “Of course, my parents thought it was a great hobby, but they really wanted me to follow in their footsteps and train to be a doctor.”
Rina studied for a degree in dance at the University of Auckland and set up her own studio before deciding to try her luck in LA. Within two weeks of arriving, she was cast in a vodka commercial and from there, began to be chosen for A-list jobs, including music videos for Enrique Iglesias and Kanye West. Rina has also danced with Chris Brown and Justin Bieber, auditioned in front of Missy Elliott and has worked alongside Julia Roberts.
Performing with Beyoncé at the MTV Video Music Awards was a dream come true for Rina (second from right).
Dancing with Beyoncé was the ultimate dream, though, and Rina was heartbroken when she missed out on performing with her hero because it clashed with a lucrative commercial job. A second time, she just missed the cut after a gruelling audition process.
But it was third time lucky when Beyoncé cast Rina for her historic performance at the 2014 MTV Music Awards, a condensed version of Beyoncé’s self-titled album, viewed by millions worldwide.
“During rehearsals, Beyoncé kept saying that she liked me. In fact, she moved me from my position at the back, to dancing right next to her. That was awesome,” Rina recalls.
“She was so amazing to work with. She was dedicated and really involved in the creative process every step of the way. It was a dream come true.”
Rina wants to help talented Kiwis follow their dreams too.
After five years away dancing with the stars, Rina called it quits in Hollywood and returned to New Zealand in October. She aims to foster new talent by holding mentoring workshops at local schools and studios for up-and-coming talent.
“A lot of young people think dance is only a hobby, and not a career. I want to be that person to tell them that if you set goals and put your mind to it, you can achieve,“ she says.
“I wish I had someone like me to be my mentor when I was young. I’ve made a whole bunch of mistakes, and want to pass on my knowledge.”
