Decked out in a glittering top and a multicolored skirt, Selina Chen (12) spins onto stage with the rest of the members in Harker Dance Company, starting their routine with a dazzling triple pirouettes. This performance represents the culmination of all the hours Selina and her teammates spent perfecting every move of the routine. Each step down to the smallest detail is impeccably planned out and practiced over and over again to make sure that everybody is in sync in order to masterfully draw the audience in. The upbeat music booms in the background as HDC performs an energetic routine that shows off their energy, their unity, and their polished technical skill. In the midst of this masterpiece, Selina’s individual grace and flair shines, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

“I love being on stage,” Selina said. “It’s my favorite feeling in the world: being able to be onstage and show the best part of my skill set that I’ve worked on for so long. I don’t really think about the audience when I dance. I remember last year this whole minute where it was just black; there was no audience in my brain. Giving my best performance, being the best that I can be — I always want to do that both in and out of dance.” 

Selina started her journey in dance fourteen years ago and joined HDC to further polish her skills and perform with others who also love dance. Before, she mostly danced ballet, jazz and lyrical, but after entering high school, she experimented with more styles including hip hop and modern. She particularly took an interest in choreography, cherishing how her dances can be a method of communication between her, the dancers, and the audience. 

“The choreography, the art that I make, means something to me but also means something to other people,” Selina said. “I like it a lot: the fact that people can take my choreography and turn it into something that they connect with, or something that they can understand or feel.”

Over the years, dance became a staple in her life and something that she treasures deeply. To Selina, dance represents more than a hobby, and she sees dance as a key element of her future. 

“I really love dance,” Selina said. “It’s one of the things that I like most out of everything in the world; I would still keep dancing regardless of what happens. I’m definitely looking to continue in college. Even if I don’t major in it, I still do want to keep it like a part of my life because it’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, so it’s nice to have that kind of constant in your life.”

Her commitment to dance does not go unnoticed by close friend Jessica Wang (11), who also appreciates the care Selina displays. 

“I really admire her passion for dance, because it’s really obvious. Her and they’re whole fiber of being loves dance: that’s her thing,” Jessica said. “She’s a very, very outgoing person and she’s very good at making connections to people. He’s someone who really cares to know about other people. Whenever I’m feeling down she always is there: he has a lot of care for everyone else in her life.

The high amount of time and work that goes into dance does not faze Selina. Instead, she welcomes it, making it something that she appreciates and looks forward to. 

“I love rehearsals because I’m able to have a set like time and place to do something that I really love with other people who also love it as much as I do,” Selina said. “Knowing that by going to rehearsal and by practicing, I’m making myself a better dancer by practicing strengthening my dance and doing drills, is something that I do really like because I’m actively improving myself.” 

Selina’s thinking helps her improve her perception of tasks that many people find to be difficult. Upper school English teacher and Diversity Community Leader Susanne Salhab has been Selina’s advisor for the past four years and is grateful for Selina’s positive attitude. 

“Selina has this rare maturity that I think is really beautiful for me to see,” Salhab said. “I love the fact that she has this honesty that I think is super refreshing. Selina is not afraid to give me feedback in a loving way, but then she’ll also accept feedback as well — she’s not defensive. It’s exciting to know Selina not just in the classroom, but to know her in a way that doesn’t revolve around grades or academics, to see her grow up and shine. I feel super lucky to get to know her.”

Many appreciate Selina for her openness and maturity, qualities that allow her to smoothly and successfully learn the skill of socializing. Her radiant personality shines through her attentiveness towards her friends as well as her unwavering determination. 

“She’s a very, very outgoing person — she’s very good at making connections to people,” Jessica said. “She’s someone who really cares to know about other people: whenever I’m feeling down, she is always there. She has a lot of care for everyone else in her life. She knows what she wants, and she knows that even in the face of difficulties. I’ve never seen her give up prematurely: she always fights to the end for everything that she wants, and I think that’s really impressive.”

Through her passion for dance, Selina not only embraces the physicality of movement but also exhibits a profound interest in the emotional aspect of human actions and interactions. This inspired her interest in psychology, which she finds fascinating as it provides her a more technical explanation to how people behave, which has helped her be more understanding and kind towards others. 

“Being able to know the depth and the complexity of the human mind [is] shocking because it basically explains everything that we do: everything that brought us to where we are today is because of what people’s minds did,” Selina said. “Being able to understand why or how that happened is crazy to me because the human brain is a mystery, still, even though we’ve had so many steps forward in science, neuroscience, biology, and psychology.”

Having taken some of the psychology courses that Harker offers, Selina is well versed in the nuances of the human mind and also applies many of the skills she learns in psychology to live a more carefree and fulfilling life. Close friend Maggie Yan (12) has known Selina since sixth grade, first meeting when they worked together to coordinate a quick change for Selina in their show Xanadu. 

“The way they think about society is, I don’t have to fit in at all,” Maggie said. “He’s so unapologetically her. He’s super passionate, super excited about a lot of things to do with dance and is really willing to help her friends out. She’s super lively, full of energy, full excitement, confidence and just has this shooting star personality.”

Selina’s personality aligns with her own ideals, as she successfully carries out her goal of being a more empathetic person. Psychology taught her many things that she harnesses to improve her life and the lives of those around her. 

“Everybody wants to be a better version of themselves,” Selina said. “I want to be the best person or friend or sibling or mentor, whatever that I can be, because I feel like all of us are struggling or we struggled or we will struggle. I know I definitely would love to have something that makes life better, happier, more enjoyable, and I know that also applies to other people.”

Selina values the connections with others she has, and it shows through her constant energy and ability to make someone’s day brighter. Dance, along with allowing her to express herself physically onstage, has been a formative constant in her life that has significantly shaped her values. Psychology, in turn, provides her with a more technical explanation that helps her become more kind and understanding towards others, reinforcing her unwavering resolution to be the best person she can be. 

“Everyone deserves to be happy, and if I can be someone to bring them closer to that happiness or that joy or just feeling good about themselves, then why wouldn’t I want to do that? That’s what I try to do every day,” Selina said. “That’s something that is really important to me: being the best person I can, for myself and for everyone else. It’s good knowing that I made somebody’s life, day or hour a little bit better.”