Talking About The Future With Dancer Charlotte Seet

She’s the 19‑year‑old phenomenon who has chalked up some 569K followers and 49.5 million Likes on TikTok with her explosive moves and baddie energy – exactly the kind of girl Onitsuka Tiger’s edgy, denim‑forward line DENIVITA was created for. Together with the Japanese label, F ZINE kits her out in the latest collection – and finds out how she has crafted a burgeoning creator career from popping off.

TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR DANCE JOURNEY BEGAN?

“I first stepped into a dance studio when I was around five or six years old – my mum had enrolled me in a ballet class as most Asian parents do. However, I didn’t enjoy ballet, and ventured into rhythmic gymnastics, Latin dance and then hip‑hop. My first hip‑hop class was in 2017 and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I never got sick or bored of it and always looked forward to the next class.”

WHAT DOES DANCING DO FOR YOU? WHY DO YOU SEEM SO COMMITTED TO IT?

“For me, dancing is a way of expressing myself and my happiness, as well as relieving any form of stress, sadness or anger! Whenever I step into a dance studio – or am just moving in my room – I forget my problems and enter a safe space where I can be 100 per cent my true self. Dancing brings me an inexplicable amount of joy that I believe is hard to find elsewhere.”

DESCRIBE YOUR DANCE STYLE.

“Explosive, confident and groovy.”

NAME YOUR DANCE HEROES.

“This might be quite a predictable answer: Kirsten Dodgen (the New Zealander hip‑hop prodigy and choreographer who has worked with the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Justin Bieber). She’s a dancer I’ve looked up to since I was young and seeing how she captivates her audience is always super inspiring. I also love how one can see how pure her love of dance is and that she enjoys it so much whenever she moves. Another dancer I’ve recently started to like is Jikang Choi from South Korea. He’s only a year older than me, but his level of dancing is through the roof. I love watching him dance and he’s such a patient teacher. I’ve attended his classes multiple times on my trips to Seoul in the past two years and the experiences have left a lasting impression. He reminds me that dance is a universal language, as his moves are very intentional and tell a story.”

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOURSELF AS SUCH A REMARKABLE DANCER?

“To be very honest, I feel like I can and should be doing more training, especially in terms of working out and keeping in shape. I’ve found that open classes on a different dance style or are of a higher level than where I’m at to be a great way of training. They push me out of my comfort zone, and allow me to learn more about my body and better understand it. They also keep my passion for dance alive and inspire me to learn more. Just watching the other students in class is insightful and helps me grow as a dancer.”

POSSIBLY INVASIVE QUESTION: JUST HOW MUCH HAVE YOU – OR YOUR PARENTS – SPENT ON YOUR DANCE TRAINING?

“It’s quite hard to give an accurate answer, but – from my knowledge – classes in Singapore generally cost around $20 per session. I remember many years ago, my mother paid more than $1,000 for open classes so that I could attend them regularly. Seeing her invest so much in my passion – not just in terms of money but also support – motivates me to constantly push myself to be a better dancer.”

IF NOT FOR TIKTOK, DANCE WOULD NOT BE AS BIG AS IT IS TODAY. AGREE OR DISAGREE?

“TikTok has definitely made dance more popular with the countless numbers of viral dance trends. I think one of the pros of TikTok is that for those who are serious about dance, there are many different styles of dance on it, making it a great platform to find inspiration. TikTok also allows dancers to share their craft with the entire world and can facilitate a really beautiful exchange of ideas among dancers, no matter the physical distance between them. A downside, though, is that dancers who don’t go for basic classes and learn purely off of TikTok may lack super‑crucial basics such as bounce and isolation techniques, which can really impact their dancing in a negative way.”

HONESTLY, DO YOU SEE DANCING AS A VIABLE, LONG‑TERM CAREER?

“I do believe that dancing can be a viable career, but perhaps not for the long term. I’ve always felt that with passion and the right mindset, one can achieve one’s dreams. However, dancing is extremely physically taxing, so the lifespan of it as a career can be considered quite short compared to that of other jobs.”

WHAT ARE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE DANCE COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISPEL?

“That it’s super intimidating and that you can’t join it when you’re past a certain age. It’s definitely intimidating to step into a new community, but I believe that the dance scene in Singapore is a warm and welcoming space. People in class are really friendly and supportive. I’ve been to open classes and seen people who look to be in their 50s still enjoying themselves, and that’s such a nice sight. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to start.”

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS?

“That would be anything related to beauty and fashion. Since young, I’ve been what my mum would call ‘stylo milo’ (local slang for fashionable). I was the kid who would steal her high‑heeled shoes, handbags and makeup. I remember once using a marker to draw false eyelashes on my eyelids. I have no clue where this passion for makeup is from, but it has definitely been a part of my life since I was a child.”

WHO ARE THE BIGGEST INFLUENCES IN YOUR LIFE?

“My parents. My mum has supported me through thick and thin, and all my passions, and she has always encouraged me to chase my dreams, be happy and live life to the fullest. These values that she has instilled in me have been life‑changing and have definitely helped me a lot growing up. Meanwhile, my dad is one of the most hard‑working people I know, and seeing how dedicated he is to his work and our family has shaped how I approach my goals. His discipline has influenced me to work hard even through rough times.”

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST CONCERNS AT THE MOMENT?

“At the moment, my greatest concern as someone my age who’s navigating adulting is not having enough time to pursue all the things I want to do, and to make sure I excel in them. I might be considered young, but I’ve always had this fear of having too many interests and too little time. I’d also like to be able to cherish my youth and not have to stress too much about things such as school and gaining financial independence.”

WHAT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING YOUNG?

“There are so many things that I love about being young, but I think the best part would be having my parents around with me. You never know when someone dear will be taken away from you and I want to do as many things with them as I can while they are still young, such as travelling the world.”

AND WHAT’S THE WORST PART ABOUT BEING YOUNG?

“This is a really hard question, but I guess it would be not having as much freedom as I would like? I do wish sometimes that I can do whatever I want without first getting my parents’ approval – like going on a trip spontaneously, or going out at three in the morning to get ice cream.”

WHAT’S YOUR NEXT BIG PROJECT?

“That would be conquering university. It’s been almost two years since I’ve been in school (she took a gap year after graduating from the School of the Arts mid last year), so I’m quite nervous. At the same time, I’m super excited to start this new chapter, make new friends and enjoy all the new experiences coming my way.”

ADVICE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUNG ASPIRING DANCERS?

“Enjoy the process. Enjoy making mistakes then growing, enjoy feeling exhausted, enjoy being drenched in sweat, enjoy the new friends you’ll make, enjoy everything. No matter what you do, always remind yourself why you’re doing it, and keep that passion and love for dance alive. BE HAPPY!”

ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET FROM SOMEONE OLDER?

“I’d like to know how to stay grounded while chasing my dreams. It feels so easy to get caught up in things and to feel pressure and compare oneself to others. I’d like to know how someone older has navigated through that to find peace, balance and purpose.”

YOUR FAVOURITE WORD STARTING WITH “F”?

“‘Female’!” 

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR BREVITY AND CLARITY.

PHOTOGRAPHY STEFAN KHOO STYLING DAMIAN HUANG & PANG JIA WEI PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS CHONG & SOLENN ROBERT WARDROBE ASSISTANT CHRISTINA GRACE LAI HAIR WINNIE WONG/FLOW SALON MAKEUP WEE MING