Aug. 17, 2021
Our “Humans of Lazada” series takes a look at the professional and personal lives of the more than 8,000 people who work at Lazada. Click here for more stories from this series.
“So you think you can dance?
If you had known me in my teens, my answer to that question would’ve been ‘no’. I was shy, awkward and quiet. Four years ago, a college pal was starting a dance crew, and for some reason, she asked if I wanted to join. Given my lack of confidence, I was hesitant but decided to give this a chance – more on a whim than for any other reason. As it turned out, saying ‘yes’ to her and picking up dancing was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. It transformed me and gave me the confidence I never thought I had – a confidence that I carried into my work and adult life today.
A year into dancing, I had the opportunity to spend some time in the United States for my college exchange programme. During my year-long stay in California, I got to experience the dance culture there. People were truly comfortable with their own bodies – the dance community is very tight-knit and supportive. That further encouraged me to come out of my shell – I learned and did moves, such as cha-cha basics and even twerking, that I never thought I could pull off. I was becoming less self-conscious about performing in front of an audience and even took part in public showcases with over a thousand people in the audience!
Upon my return to Singapore, I wanted to ‘pay it forward’ by helping people to grow through dance. Since then, I’ve become the captain of my dance crew and taught many folks from all walks of life, including Lazadians from my department. It’s always so rewarding to see people’s faces after a dance session because, invariably, I can see in their smiles that they’ve found something in themselves – just as I had.
Remember the question I asked at the beginning? Without a doubt, yes, I can and love to dance! I also believe that everyone can be great dancers as long as one is willing to give it a try, work hard at it and have discipline and patience. I have an ‘ABCD’ mantra, which is short for ‘Any Body Can Dance’! It’s not about becoming Beyoncé, BTS or Black Pink – although that would be pretty awesome – but it’s about taking that step forward (literally!) and discovering what you can do.”
Hear Skyler tell his story here:
This profile was compiled by Fiona Poh, a senior manager in Lazada’s regional communications team.