"E-D#-E-D#-E-B-D-C-A-... E-D#-E-D#-E-B-D-C-A-... E-D#-E-D#-E-B-D-C-A... E-D#-E-D#-E-B-D-C-A... E-D#-ED#-E-B-D-C-A..." Was I practicing piano? Or was I being punished? With the way those notes repeated, you might think I was mimicking a broken record instead of trying to master the opening of "Fur Elise." Hours stretched into days that stretched into weeks which stretched into months, until my sanity stretched so much I thought I would snap from all the torture my teacher called "training." ...

As I look forward to the future impact I seek to make, I look towards Princeton and its abundant opportunities for applying interdisciplinary curiosity. Primarily, I aim to explore the intersection between dance, neuroscience, and medicine. Through keeping up with the journal Frontiers in Psychology and the American Dance Therapy Association, I am fascinated by dance's potential as a therapy for neurological disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and also mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Endeavoring to advance...

[Name Redacted] was only eleven, yet she worked with the seriousness of a soldier. The way she looped the same passage mesmerized me--starting slowly before increasing in speed--like the Doppler effect of an echo approaching you. I moved to the next practice room where I saw [Name Redacted] at the piano. I was fascinated by her gestures while playing. Was she a snake charmer who hypnotized the piano? Or was she possessed by the music? She later explained that she...

When the pandemic forced Interlochen to close in March, I returned to a home with tension so high its altitude felt suffocating. While at school, my mom lamented over the phone how my younger sister, [Name Redacted] stopped eating with the family, slept all day, and secluded herself. Even knowing all that, I couldn't have predicted discovering the scars on [Name Redacted] arms. When I confronted her about it, she broke down almost immediately, blaming her self-harm on me for...

It was the week before the opening night of The Nutcracker and dancers were dropping. Stage rehearsals were becoming an undefeated gladiator, eliminating dancers left and right, taking out their hips, ankles, knees, and feet. It aggravated eating disorders, and of the forty dancers in the cast, eight became injured. We were scrambling to replace their parts with understudies who had to learn some dances in just 30 minutes. Throughout four shows, we held our breaths each time someone danced. By...

While Interlochen has helped me open up, I still mostly identify as a shy person. Whether it's contributing to political discourse, practicing public speaking during class presentations, or putting together a full-length ballet for Princeton University Ballet, I would like to work on becoming more assertive and outspoken.

I have a box, while my sister has her bedroom wall, but no matter where our preferred storage space happens to be, we both enjoy collecting written notes and postcards--mementos of being thought of, artifacts of affection, littles things that somehow make a big difference in feeling happy and loved.

Whether mental, emotional, or physical, Bill Wither’s “Lean on Me” encapsulates how I strive to support my friends while they grapple with their struggles. More than an offer I extend, it resonates my soulful joy of helping others, of imbuing consoling harmony into whatever corner we inhabit--no matter how dark.

Just Mercy Blood Brothers Invisible Man; I was hooked on searching for symbolism and foreshadowing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; enjoyed comparing my interpretation of the book against the director’s movie adaptation First They Killed My Father Of Mice and Men The Pearl; deepened my appreciation of what I already have Man’s Search for Meaning; pushed me to ponder what I’m trying to pursue in arts and academics A Separate Peace Ethan Frome Dandelion Wine ...

The Girl with Seven Names; about a North Korean escapee, made me grateful for my parents Beneath a Scarlet Sky; through dilemmas during war, conviction’s importance is witnessed The Winter Soldier; eloquent, inspired how I write narratives Deception Point and Child 44; thrillers worth sacrificing sleep for Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod; laughed, cried, (after reading) how could you not love dogs? Death of a Salesman; cautionary tale of unrestrained ambition The Boys in the Boat; hard...

International Association for Dance Medicine and Science Business Insider (Technology, Intelligence, Health) Dance Magazine (Career Advice, Training, Style and Beauty, Auditions) Pointe Magazine (Cross Training, Company Life, Nutrition, Pre-Professional Guide, College Guide, Audition Guide) Buzzfeed (News, Videos) National Geographic (Science Galleries and Videos, History and Culture Galleries and Videos) New York Times (Arts, Opinion, Health, Books, Science, Politics) TED ED (Videos in Health: Growth, Development, Medical Conditions; Arts: Performing Arts, Value of Arts; Thinking and Learning) Smithsonian Channel (Modern History,...

At Interlochen Singer/Songwriter Concerts (x12) Learned song-making process after talking with many songwriters Orchestral Performances: Classical Music (x8) Soloist Music Performances by Instrumentalists (x70) Interdisciplinary Arts Performances/Academy Cafe (x20) Jazz Ensemble Performances (x8) Always a weekend plan when performances are available Visual Arts Galleries (x8) Theater Productions (x16) Beyond the enjoyable performances, I study actors’ body language to see what I can incorporate into my storytelling ballets. Everybody The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime Violet...

When the pandemic forced Interlochen to close in March, I returned to a home with tension so high its altitude felt suffocating. While at school, my mom lamented over the phone how my younger sister, [Name Redacted] stopped eating with the family, slept all day, and secluded herself. Even knowing all that, I couldn't have predicted discovering the scars on [Name Redacted] arms. When I confronted her about it, she broke down almost immediately, blaming her self-harm on me for...

Beyond chances to continue ballet with the Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Barnard Dance, and the Ivy Ballet Exchange, Columbia is an interdisciplinary dream. There are a wide array of opportunities to intersect my academic and artistic interests, but the intersections I am most excited to explore are those between dance, neuroscience, and medicine. While building an academic foundation in Neuroscience & Behavior, I aim to pursue courses like Neurobiology: Cellular & Molecular as a gateway into investigating how dance therapy can benefit mental...

Some dancers fixate on obtaining the “ideal” ballet body image. Despite decades of campaigns and cautionary films like Black Swan showing how attempting to achieve these ideals can be deadly, these false ideals persist. When I first met [Name Redacted], she seemed like any other dancer, full of passion and commitment to her art. After a five-hour rehearsal, she collapsed while walking. Everyone flocked to help her up, offering her fruit and drinks to keep her from fainting again. No...

A week before the opening night of Interlochen’s 2019 production of The Nutcracker, dancers were dropping like bugs hitting a zapper. Stage rehearsals became a gauntlet, eliminating dancers left and right, taking out their hips, ankles, knees, and feet. Of the forty dancers in the cast, eight suffered injuries. We scrambled to replace their parts with understudies who in some cases learned their roles within 30 minutes. The physical toll was severe and the mental toll palpable. In the end, we...

Whether dancing to fundraise for disabled children in Hanoi or the Ronald McDonald House in Des Moines, I will continue to engage with communities near and far. I would immerse myself in the Penn arts community, joining clubs like Penn Ballet and Sparks Dance Company, which focuses on dance and civic engagement. I also want to pursue the creation of a “Ballet for Bliss,” a club that would engage with students and community members in discussions about stress and body...

Drawn to Duke’s commitment to inquiry across disciplines, I aim to explore the intersections between the arts, neuroscience, and medicine. Reading the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology, I am fascinated by dance's potential as a therapy for neurological and psychological disorders like Parkinson's and anxiety. Endeavoring to advance its efficacy, I’ll build an academic foundation through courses like Neurobiology of Learning and Memory before pursuing undergraduate research or a Project Team through Bass Connections. Duke alumna Miurel Price,...

When the pandemic forced Interlochen to close in March, I returned to a home with tension so high its altitude felt suffocating. While at school, my mom lamented over the phone how my younger sister, [Name Redacted] stopped eating with the family, slept all day, and secluded herself. Even knowing all that, I couldn't have predicted discovering the scars along [Name Redacted] inner forearms. When I confronted her about it, she broke down almost immediately, blaming her self-harm on me...

While presenting on political groups run by young leaders around my age, Mr. [Name Redacted] introduced our class to Madison Cawthorn, a young Republican who uses social media to impress the urgency of political engagement. As the youngest member of Congress, Cawthorn’s story captivated me. Like most teens, I believed I needed to stay out of politics or activism. Cawthorn’s story teaches otherwise: I could have a tangible impact on the society that governs me. Greta Thunberg, Jamie...

Full disclosure: I’m a neat freak. So if you enjoy channeling your inner Marie Kondo, I look forward to geeking out over our clean room! Improving a space's cleanliness stems from my love of helping out. I like to think of myself as someone who supports his friends and family. You can ask [Name Redacted]--one of my friends at Interlochen--who will vouch for me. She struggled with online college chemistry at Columbia, but luckily, I could help. Whether...

Like a baby bird hesitating to take flight for the first time, her arms suddenly extended into the full span of swan wings when the crescendo exploded. I teared up as I watched this recording of Prima Ballerina Marta González reliving her Swan lake choreography despite suffering from Alzheimer’s and being confined to a wheelchair, her eyes searching for a past life she lost. Although González’s episodic memories had faded, the music triggered a procedural recall....

As an Vietnamese-Thai American, my appearance is clearly different than that of a boy born and raised in an Iowan white family. When I moved to Iowa from Hawaii, I never embraced my culture for fear of being outcast. 8:00-3:00 stranded me on a boat in the pacific.

As a male ballet dancer, bullying never ceased. Until sophomore year of high school, I dealt with it by hiding myself, omitting talking about what I loved. My true form finally sparked when I met other dancers and artists at Interlochen. Discussions about similar experiences bonded us together in solidarity.

“Life is a graph with discontinuities.”--Ms. Kullenberg, AP calculus teacher She believes life is full of jump discontinuities, even possibly starting over from zero. Or there might be a removable discontinuity, a hole of missed opportunities. We just have to push through the tough times--things might get exponentially better.

I follow a strict diet, but sometimes I need to relax. Potatoes bring me to heaven, but there’s guilt associated with french fries (my favorite!). What’s the solution? Potato salad. With the ingenious linguistic framing of adding “salad” to the name, I get a trip to heaven without the guilt.

“Take Five”--Dave Brubeck. This song follows a unique 5/4 rhythm, a jazzy atmosphere, and a nonchalant Ocean’s Eleven vibe. Whether I am happy or sad, an inexorable drum starts pulsing in my stomach, making its way to my shoulders and feet every time I hear this tune.

When the pandemic forced Interlochen to close in March, I returned to a home with tension so high its altitude felt suffocating. While at school, my mom lamented over the phone how my younger sister, [Name Redacted] stopped eating with the family, slept all day, and secluded herself. Even knowing all that, I couldn't have predicted discovering the scars on [Name Redacted] arms. When I confronted her about it, she broke down almost immediately, blaming her self-harm on me for...

Whether dancing to fundraise for disabled children in Hanoi or the Ronald McDonald House in Des Moines, I will continue to engage with communities near and far. I’d immerse myself in the Pomona arts community, joining the Turf Dinner to meet with students leading clubs of other disciplines. In addition to joining clubs like Claremont Colleges Ballet Company, I want to pursue the creation of “Ballet for Bliss,” a club that would engage with students and community members in...

“Conservatives are racist!” “Liberals are soft!” “Coronavirus is a deep state hoax to control us!” “Only I can save you from ruin!” Society’s uneasy complexities have pushed us to search for easy solutions--ad hominems, conspiracies, strongmen. Our inability to confront a complicated and uncomfortable reality will lead to our downfall.

To grow: Russian classical ballet at the Ellison Ballet Intensive and jazz improvisation on the piano at St. Ambrose. For others: teaching kids overseas piano while instilling the value of “boring,” fundamental technical exercises in my sisters’ violin practice. For fun: science videos, everything from muscle growth to mummy preservation.

Former POW Pete Peterson returning to Vietnam and shaking the hands of his former captors, cementing a new period of peaceful prosperity as US and Vietnam normalized diplomatic relations, without which my mother wouldn’t have received a Fulbright scholarship, moved to America, and given my siblings and me our lives.

When Ellison Ballet waitlisted my sister, I championed her by appealing to the director, who surprised our family with housing scholarships so we could stay together in NYC during the Summer Intensive. As the eldest, while striving to set an example, I must enable my sisters to become exemplary too.

With the Cardinal Ballet Company’s dance community at the center, exploring interdisciplinary intersections, like the effects of dance and art on mental health at Building 420, or mingling with musicians at the Braun Music Center who provide orchestral music for ballets as I inquire into their practice process.

Mr. [Name Redacted] was presenting on political groups run by young leaders--leaders not much older than me-- when he introduced to our class Madison Cawthorn, a young Republican who uses social media to reach young voters and impress the urgency of voting and political engagement. As the youngest member of Congress, his story captivated me. Like many young people, I’ve been told to know my place. I feared the dogmatic fury of the politically devout on both ends of...

Dear future roommate, Full disclosure: I might be a bit of a neat freak. So if you also enjoy channeling your inner Marie Kondo, I look forward to geeking out over our clean room! But really, my inclination to improve a space's cleanliness stems from my love of helping out. I like to think of myself as a hard worker who works even harder to help his friends and family. You can ask [Name Redacted]--one of my friends at...

A thought that makes my skin crawl every time it creeps into my head: death. Any hour can be our last. Dancers are often extremely obsessed with their body image. Whether print or social, the media constantly reinforces dancers being super skinny. Some dancers fixate on obtaining the “ideal” ballet body. Despite decades of campaigns and cautionary films like Black Swan showing how attempting to achieve these ideals can be deadly, people persist. When I first met [Name Redacted], she...

Like a baby bird hesitating to take flight for the first time, her arms suddenly extended into the full span of swan wings when the crescendo exploded. My eyes watered as I watched this recording of Prima Ballerina Marta González (first dancer of the New York Ballet in the 60s) reliving her Swan lake choreography despite suffering from Alzheimer’s in a wheelchair, her eyes searching for a past life she had lost. The brain and how little is...

The way [Name Redacted] looped the same passage mesmerized me--starting slowly before increasing in speed--like the Doppler effect of an echo approaching you. I moved to the next room where I saw [Name Redacted] and became fascinated by her gestures while playing. She later explained that she was constructing a story for her piece, shifting pacing for plot twists and emphasizing silence for cliffhangers. Although most people know me as a dancer, it was while practicing with such young yet...

Driven by interdisciplinary curiosity, I aim to explore the intersection between dance, neuroscience, and medicine. Keeping up with the journal Frontiers in Psychology and the American Dance Therapy Association, I am fascinated by dance's therapeutic potential for neurological disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and also mental health issues like depression and anxiety. To advance the efficacy of dance therapy, I will build an academic foundation in Neuroscience. While dance holds promise as therapy, many professional dancers still suffer from devastating...

Rice’s Student Taught Courses grants me the privilege to teach ballet to peers. As I instruct “Ballet for Bliss”, I’ll find associations between dance, medicine, and neuroscience while teaching pliés, jetés, and frappés. I’d focus on creating a good mind-body balance while studying/training. The unique Honor Code system inspires a level of trust, autonomy, and responsibility between students and teachers. Meanwhile, Rice’s extensive connections with the Texas Medical Center--the largest in the...

Telling people I danced ballet in middle school became social suicide. From homophobic slurs to being teased about wearing tights, the bullying never ceased. My peers' relentless mocking gradually tainted my love of ballet until I started developing a hate for it, crying and shouting at my parents for putting me into something so “weird”. Struggling with being ostracized, I became the quiet kid. When I transferred to Interlochen, I went from trying to fit in by telling people I...

While discussing my future plans with Mr. Ellison during the 2019 Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive, he asserted, "Dancers are artists, and artists must engage with other arts." He emphasized how ballet dancers must be curious and observant towards other disciplines to improve their own craft. “Ballet training shouldn’t consist purely of ballet,” he stressed. I've since adhered to his advice. I have deliberately attended visual art galleries for spontaneous moments of inspiration. I can’t stop leaning in to closely...

[Name Redacted] was only eleven, yet she worked with the seriousness of a soldier. The way she looped the same passage mesmerized me--starting slowly before increasing in speed--like the Doppler effect of an echo approaching you. I moved to the next practice room where I saw [Name Redacted] at the piano. I was fascinated by her gestures while playing. Was she a snake charmer who hypnotized the piano? Or was she possessed by the music? She later explained that she...

Whether it be physical or mental healing, I aspire to work with pre-professional and professional dancers and reduce the harmful effects of training and performances through orthopaedics. I also want to advance dance as therapy for neurological disorders or develop methods for repairing tissue through research.

Sheer tenacity. As a chess fan, the beauty of The Queen’s Gambit thrilled me. The producer, Allan Scott, created nine rewrites through 30 years of ordeals before finally witnessing his work’s success.

Pete Peterson, a Vietnam War POW who put past hatred and grudges aside to create a brighter future for Vietnam. I just wonder: How did he feel while shaking the hands of his former captors?

"Ballet for Bliss”--a course for all levels of experience that will teach a basic ballet class (elementary ballet movements at the barre and center) and its mental, emotional, and physical benefits.

Food! I love trying new cuisines, but there’s nothing like a steamy bowl of Vietnamese pho (noodle soup) to help out with finals. I hope to receive boosts of confidence, to minimize my shy tendencies.

Through keeping up with the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology and the American Dance Therapy Association, I have been inspired and fascinated by dance's therapeutic potential for mental and movement disorders like depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s, and even autism. Endeavoring to advance the efficacy of dance therapy, Neuroscience allows me to combine my academic and artistic interests and research its scientific foundations, current applications, and possible innovations. I aim to craft a more nuanced understanding of how dance therapy affects...

Students like [Name Redacted]--a tenor for the a capella group, The Whiffenpoofs, who double majors in Cognitive Science and Ethnicity, Race, and Immigration. I want to ask what inspires him and his groupmates’ polymathy, and how they do it all. [Name Redacted], an alumna of the Yale School of Medicine, is also a role model. She danced ballet, jazz, and modern while in school until a hip injury ended her career. Now she uses her experience and education to...

Watching Interstellar launched my curiosity towards exploring the possibilities of manipulating time and space dimensions. Conversing with my dad about black holes and time travel, we dove into a rabbit hole of speculation about wormholes and relativity. Curiosity is a double-edged sword; sought-after answers may never appear. But without curiosity, especially the kind that takes courage to explore the unknown, would we ever dare to take risks that will potentially yield progress? For example, some rare diseases are never researched...

Considering the ideal body for ballet, mine is littered with more physical deficiencies than an experimental drug has questionable side-effects. My quads weren't developed correctly, my arms and feet too stiff. I could barely balance on one leg let alone touch my toes. So why did Mr. [Name Redacted] champion me? Was it charitable generosity? Or did he see promise underneath all my flaws? Regardless, his approval and support skyrocketed my motivation. As my growth took flight, Mr. [Name Redacted]...

[Name Redacted] was only eleven, yet she worked with the seriousness of a soldier. The way she looped the same passage mesmerized me--starting slowly before increasing in speed--like the Doppler effect of an echo approaching you. I moved to the next practice room where I saw [Name Redacted] at the piano. I was fascinated by her gestures while playing. Was she a snake charmer who hypnotized the piano? Or was she possessed by the music? She later explained that she...

Like a baby bird hesitating to take flight for the first time, her arms suddenly extended into the full span of swan wings when the crescendo exploded. I teared up as I watched this recording of Prima Ballerina Marta González (dancing in the 1960s New York Ballet) reliving her Swan lake choreography despite suffering from Alzheimer’s and being confined to a wheelchair, her eyes searching for a past life she lost. The brain and how little is known...

Whether dancing to fundraise for disabled children in Hanoi or the Ronald Mcdonald House in Des Moines, I will continue to engage with communities near and far. Brown’s lack of a ballet-centered club or curriculum is an opportunity for me to co-teach a Community-Based Learning and Research ballet course, drawing from my comprehensive background to introduce and educate students on its many benefits. After teaching at the Ashamu Dance Studio, I aim to engage students and community members in...