Cecilia Yong - "My Dancing Story"

I started dancing ballet when I was 9 years old and still doing it until today. When I turned 15, I was forced into Latin by my parents because they were dancing themselves as well. But soon after that I began falling in love in Latin. That is how I started to have the urge to compete whether it is locally or overseas representing Malaysia. I achieved quite a number of titles in the Latin scene of Malaysia.

When I was 15 years old I started off Partnering Benjamin Lee and competed in my first competition in Singapore in the beginner event and managed to get 4^th placing. However the partnership ended right after that and I found myself a 2^nd Partner; Jonathan Fam. Together with Jonathan we have successfully achieved to be the 2003 International Junior Under 16 Latin Champion, 2003 International Pre Amateur Latin Champion and also Top 3 for Amateur Malaysian Closed Latin Category. Sadly, in 2004 the partnership ended.

Lucky enough I found myself another partner; Adrian Chin and achieved most of my major titles in my dancing line. We turn out to be the Champion for Malaysian Latin Amateur Closed Champion in the year 2004, 2005 and 2007. MDA (Malaysian Dance Association) also sponsored and gave opportunities for us to represent MDA (Malaysia) to countries like Sri Lanka, China, Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore to compete.

After October 2007, Adrian and I ended the partnership as he have other priorities in life because he was getting married then. I was bumbing around, continuing my ballet and learning other form of dances as I could not find myself a partner. So happen in the year 2008, So You Think You Can Dance season 2 was back. Me and my friend; Billy Yong just made an abrupt decision the night before to go for the audition.

We auditioned and we got through Bootcamp, Top 35 and then Top20. Sadly Billy Yong got eliminated on the first week but I endured on in the competition and won the competition itself.

Though at that moment, my main target was getting up to Top10 only but I am surprised and shocked to even manage to get into Top4. Winning the SYTYCD season 2 was really shocking. But what I know for sure is, I put my mind in it, endure it with full of will and determination to do my best week by week. I learn to not give up and I feel satisfaction because I’m improving my knowledge about dances of other genres.

I have learnt so much through the competition that it changed me, still the same girl but with different perception of life and dance. It not only made me grow in dancing but it had made me grow up as a person myself too.

However, after SYTYCD, I was again bumbing around. Did not do any dancing as I was busy back to University life again. At that point, I could not find myself a partner in Latin and somehow I don’t know why I have lost the urge to dance. It was probably by far the saddest point of life in my dancing career. I lost my soul in dance and wanted to give up totally. Personally I feel, winning the title was easier than maintaining it. I didn’t know how to maintain it that’s probably why everything went upside down. (A feeling that is very hard to explain by words)

One fine day, I woke up having this weird aura in me telling me to chase after what I really wanted. I just stood up and started planning. I called up Billy Yong and asked him whether is he interested in partnering me. He said Yes and we went and find for a dancing school and started training all over again as we both have stopped competitive latin for approximately 1 ½ years. Though we weren’t champions but in a short 3 months of partnership we managed to be Grand Finalist for Malaysia Ranking Latin Championships this year.

Again, things did not work well between us and we ended our partnership in September. And now I got myself a new partner and we both have the same goal in mind to achieve. Though it is a new partnership but this time I can see clearly the path we are linking into and I am very sure that many more achievements would be able to reach in this new partnership.

Writtern By,

Cecilia Yong
Unedited Purely Cecilia

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