Starting out by joining his high school’s talent competition with a group of buddies (shout out to Superheroes), Zach had his first ever taste dance through this experience and loved it. He decided to pursue dancing a little more by putting himself in a studio and learning basic hip-hop for 6 months. Despite his growing passion, he stopped dancing at the age of 17 to focus on his studies.

In 2015 Zach found himself sitting in the audience of Flare’s production Be. Being wowed piece after piece, he wondered if he had the skills or even the guts to set foot in one of Flare’s classes. Fast-forward to today, and Zach has been part of two productions, Ascendance (2016) and Unspoken (2017). He also had the privilege to serve in the committee as the Gigs Coordinator in 2017. As much as he appreciates the opportunity to grow as a dancer, the friendships and memories made are what Zach cherishes the most. He hopes to give back to the community as President this year, and looks forward to continue doing life with the people he’s proud to call Flaremily.

Likes: Hip Hop, Thai Chilli Cafe

Ever since Adele stepped foot on stage for the very first time when she was five, she was convinced that she was a performer. She enjoyed the occasional dance in her bedroom, however it wasn’t until 2012 when she attended her first dance class. Her love for Girlstyle dancing grew, as well as her passion and heart for K-pop.

Since joining Flare in early 2016, Adele has pushed herself to try many other dance styles such as Jazz, Bollywood, Chinese, and Lyrical, as well as teaching her own K-pop classes.

After serving on the committee as events coordinator in 2017, Adele is excited to begin her vice presidency with new talents on the team, and hopes to get more beginners and non-dancers involved in dance.

Likes: New Jazz / Commercial Girls', K-Pop, traditional Chinese fashion, small dogs, sweet food, Disney, being the little spoon

Christine's love of dance began at the age of 3, when she begged her mother to take her to dance classes. As Christine could be quite unrelenting at the age of 4, she was signed up at a local dance school. Here, she was lucky to complete a number of ballet, jazz and tap CSTD examinations. Once she reached high-school she became heavily involved in her high-school dance program, which gave her a number of performance opportunities such as school assemblies, cabarets, local community events & galas, and conferences. A memorable highlight was being a part of the school’s Rock Eisteddfod team in 2012 as well as creating two solo dance numbers for her VCE Dance studies.

Christine's love of dance began at the age of 3, when she begged her mother to take her to dance classes. As Christine could be quite unrelenting at the age of 4, she was signed up at a local dance school. Here, she was lucky to complete a number of ballet, jazz and tap CSTD examinations. Once she reached high-school she became heavily involved in her high-school dance program, which gave her a number of performance opportunities such as school assemblies, cabarets, local community events & galas, and conferences. A memorable highlight was being a part of the school’s Rock Eisteddfod team in 2012 as well as creating two solo dance numbers for her VCE Dance studies.

When teaching, Christine is always inspired by the dancers who take her class, truly believing that training and technique may shape a good dancer, but it is commitment and passion that shape a great performer.

This is Christine’s second year on the committee. In 2018, Christine hopes to help Flare grow locally, include as many dancers as possible, and celebrate and support the passion and talents of those who make Flare possible.

Likes: Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Tap, a well put-together spreadsheet

Zachary Chin, is a university student with a disappointing WAM and fleeting job prospects in a degree that is attune to squeezing every technical detail out of daily life, to the point where even mathematicians get annoyed while engineers take all the real jobs.

Pre-2017 there was no mention of ‘dance’ in his daily schedule. The closest he got to dancing was a performance at his secondary graduation assembly, in which he was too busy off-stage helping AV.

In 2017, his second year at the University of Melbourne, at O-Week amongst first years with their university maps in one hand and free tote bags in the other, he spontaneously decided exactly one day after first stumbling across O-week performances at South Lawn and Old Quad, to join the not-for-profit UHT affiliated university student run dance organisation known as Flare.

Thrown into this crazy new world, he relied on his love for music and allure of novelty, casting for cocktail night, going to dance camp, performing for Semester 2's O-Week, casting for production, and eventually running for committee. Zach is thankful for the insurmountable support from all his choreographers and fellow dancers. He wishes to one day, give back to the community, through being able to support others in and outside of the studio, and encouraging the next generation to do the same.

Likes: Lyrical, ~feels~ chorey, brisk walking, spreadsheets

Kevin's first encounter with Flare was during the O-Week of his first year of university (2015). After witnessing a solid 10 minutes of awe-inspiring dancing, he, along with several other fresh-out-of-high-school friends, decided to join. They all whipped out their cash and signed up that very day. Riding the waves of this newly found passion, he went on to attend his first ever dance class during Flare's Welcome Week. In what could only be described as 90 minutes of "huh", "how did he do that", "how are you all doing that", "why don’t I look like that", he was thoroughly traumatised and proceeded to not attend a single class for the remainder of the year.

Now, what young Kevin had failed to realise was that for most people, being able to pick up the choreography from the very first class just doesn’t happen (even for those beginner level classes); it takes a lot of practice and many months of flopping around in class.

It wasn’t until mid-way through 2015 that his resolve to give it another shot began to bud. Flare was to perform at a gig called So You Think You Can K-Pop and a few of Kevin’s previously mentioned fresh-out-of-high-school friends had successfully casted into one of the pieces and were going to be a part of it. After watching their performance and being amazed by how far they’d come in that half-year, a small thought began to take formation: next year, I want to perform with them on that stage.

With that goal in mind, in the following year, he paid that membership fee once again, attended classes, practiced, auditioned and to his amazement, actually made it into a piece for the Flare Cocktail Night of 2016. Following this success, Kevin continued practicing and made it into more pieces in that year and the next and now, three years after his first encounter with Flare, he has somehow become the Treasurer for 2018.

Likes: K-Pop, thumbs ups, appeeling jokes

Herson was always interested in dance but had been too shy to actively pursue it. So, throughout his high school years, he would secretly watch dance videos during IT classes or practice K-pop and choreographed dances when he thought that no one was looking. But everything changed when he came to Melbourne. Having decided that he had a clean slate and a newly acquired freedom from his parents, he sought to pursue dance more actively and join Flare in 2016.

Though he mainly stuck to K-pop and choreographed classes during his first few months in Flare, he gradually began exploring different dance styles such as Contemporary, Waacking, Bollywood and Jazz just to name a few. Despite encountering many rejections from gigs and production pieces, he was able to grow more as a dancer from the feedback he got from choreographers. And he hopes that newcomers to Flare, and more importantly, dance, would stick to this mindset.

Through his love of memes and perseverance, Herson became Publicity Officer. He hopes to give back to the club that has given so much to him, as well as help grow Flare’s online presence through the many laughs and cringes his memes and puns bring to others.

Likes: Choreographed dance, Contemporary, Girlstyle / Comm Girls', memes

Besides food, dancing is the most important part of Crystal’s life. Her love for dancing began when she was introduced to ballet at a very young age (mainly because her family didn’t know how to deal with her hyperactivity). The joy and fulfillment that Crystal experiences in the process of dancing has since become her main way to escape stress and enjoy life.

When Crystal came to Melbourne for university, she was worried about not being able to dance and perform. Fortunately for her, she stumbled upon the Flare booth at O-week and the rest was history. Having only done ballet her entire life, it was both very exciting and challenging to be introduced to so many other dance genres. Plus, Crystal was immedinately overwhelmed by how welcoming and friendly people are in the club, and is therefore grateful to have met friends who have influenced her to be both a a better dancer and a better person.

Being in the 2018 committee, Crystal is excited to share her enjoyment of dance with her fellow Flarians. Furthermore, she looks forward to invite new members into the Flaremily to grow not only as a dancer and performer, but in life as well.

Likes: Ballet, Contemporary, eating, being gentle, not forceful

Jacqueline's first taste of dance began with Ballet at the age of 4, however one year later aged 5, she decided to pursue Traditional Chinese dance instead. This became the main focus of her dance for many following years of her life until she was exposed to contemporary dance at the age of 16. She participated in various dance performances and competitions with her dance troupe back in Malaysia and then in 2012 in China, participated in an international Traditional Chinese dance competition in which she won Gold.

Jacqueline joined Flare in 2015. In 2016, she pushed herself to choreograph for the annual Production alongside her friend Bud. They choreographed a Traditional Chinese piece together, and this was her the first taste of choreographing in Flare. In 2017 she then choreographed for Cocktail Night, and also had an opportunity to run a Lyrical Performance class.

As a member of the committee in 2018, Jacqueline wishes to help Flare grow and inspire more dancers, and give Flare more exposure to not just potential new dancers, but also the dance society in Melbourne.

Likes: Contemporary, Lyrical, Traditional Chinese

Contrary to popular belief, Derby is, in fact, not 12 years old.

Commonly identified as the small skinny one, Derby has a background in Chinese traditional dancing, Malay traditional dancing, and Kpop. Only after immersing in Flare did she begin experimenting with more styles such as Commercial Girls, and Bollywood. However, due to growing up in a conservative country she is very shy and mentally battles herself with every body roll and booty drop that she does full out anyway because it’s all or nothing. It is important to proceed with caution when in public with this member as she is known to groove in various degrees when the beat drops regardless of the venue. She does not apologise in advance.

Another notable trait is her (at times exorbitantly) great determination. Due to a chronic ankle injury, she attempts to limit the volume of dancing as it aggravates her weak ligaments, but alas the fomo is too real and the lit chorey is too many. On that note, please do not challenge her to do things as she will probably do it just because “watch me”. She applies the same determination in designing for her enamoured Flare, and lives for the ​A E S T H E T I C Q U A L I T I E S.

Identifying this member may prove to be a struggle as you may not be able to recognize her in her different dance styles, hair, makeup, and vertically challenged stature. But things that will surely remain unchanged are her dimples, her 200% efforts and her eyes to be open in photos. (Really, they are.)

Likes: to be mysterious

Mina is from big city Tokyo, and loves to learn arts, language, and performance. She loves to draw and dreamed to become a manga artist but has recently developed interest in combining her drawing and music skills together. She is currently studying Music at the University of Melbourne and will be learning about electronic dance music as well. She loves music so much and values the close relationship between music and dance.

However, she often thought negatively that she was not good enough. Her shyness always put her down and she could only hide behind "better" people. At her first class of Flare, she was too scared of many dancers who she thought were better and sexier, which resulted in her running away. But inside her, there was something burning so strongly, because she still loved to dance, and loved to perform. So she came back to class a few days later and tried many different styles. She's been in Flare for a year and is still a shy girl, but not shy on the stage anymore. Flare Dance Ensemble not only gave her the joy of dancing, but also pulled out her burning confidence.

Likes: Girlstyle/Commercial, Kristie Ho, the quote: "夢は逃げない。逃げるのはいつも自分だ。"(The dream doesn't run away. You do.)

Don't ask Alo how long she's been dancing for. She'd probably pause, look away (if she wasn't already), laugh, and then tell you, with humiliation, that it's been a lot longer than it seems. Do, however, ask her to describe her experience in Flare. She'd probably pause, look away (if she wasn't already), laugh, and then tell you, with conviction, that it's been a long overdue wake-up call.

From being slapped by a casting rejection, to missing FFAMM camp and regretting it, to resolving to move to the front of classes and practise full out more often, to somehow passing the last casting session she expected herself to try, to having a blast in the rollercoaster of Production season, to being trusted enough to manage the website you're currently looking at, Alo's had quite a wild ride in her first year of Flare. She's also found some friends of various backgrounds who've made for great (metaphorical) carpooling. The ride dented her WAM a little, however. She might have bad fomo when she forces herself to study instead of attending classes, but she'll stay online and in touch with as much of Flare as possible, because Alo doesn’t want to hit the brakes anytime soon.

As the IT officer, Alo aims to increase Flare’s efficiency with technological assistance and bring out more of the website's potential. As a Flarian, she hopes to connect even more with new and old members, and hopefully improve enough to tell you, one day, with pride, that she started dancing when she was 4.

Likes: Upbeat + feelgood dances, Tap, Jazz, K-Pop, making playlists, decapitalised sentences, tYPING LIKE THIS

Since young, Kyle had built an interest in dance. It first began in primary school when he encountered the dance component of P.E class. Alongside this, Kyle decided to learn simple choreography at home as a hobby by copying dance practice videos on Youtube. However he was met with the roadblock of being unable to discover his own personal style.

After graduating he realised that he needed to revisit dance, as it was something that was fulfilling (along with drinking bubble tea every day). This gave Kyle the drive to try something new when it was time to enter university. Upon seeing lit performances and being baited by super extra promo-ing by Flare in Unimelb's O-Week, he decided that this dance club was going to be his next step in life.

Kyle decided to take some Flare classes during Welcome Week to experiment with the new opportunity, and soon it became his home. Through this experience, he was able to find interest in K-Pop, Hip Hop, and Commercial dance styles. Flare provided him with the ability to express himself through dance, meet a ton of inspiring people and the chance to perform on a stage. As part of 2018 committee, Kyle wishes to help members find and develop confidence in dance.

Likes: K-Pop, Hip Hop, Commercial, sleeping, bubble tea

Viv's dance journey began at four years old, when her parents signed her up for ballet classes, hoping it would correct her posture and stop her from walking around like an elephant. As a kid, ballet was just another after-school activity instead of something she was really passionate about, partly because she was terrible and partly because ballet exams and performances were scary.

In high school, after years of failing to do the splits, trying to hobble around on pointe shoes and dealing with multiple injuries and permanent feet damage, she finally realised that ballet might not be the style for her. Not wanting to give up dance altogether, she did a complete 180 and started Hip-Hop, and in her spare time, tried to learn K-Pop dances from low-quality fancams on YouTube.

She decided to join Flare after watching their O-Week set, thinking she’d just go for some casual classes since she’d never have the guts to cast for performance pieces. She never imagined that the supportive and welcoming environment at Flare would help her muster up the courage to give casting a shot, and that she’d eventually get the opportunity to perform on stage. As part of committee, Viv hopes to share her love for dance with others and encourage beginners to not let their fears limit their potential.

Likes: Hip Hop, K-Pop, food, dark clothing, hair dye
Dislikes (gasp!): Public transport, partnerwork

Every little girl dreamt of becoming the Sugar Plum Princess, and Rachelle was no exception. Her dance journey began when she was first put into ballet classes at the age of 5. She somehow managed to wobble and tip-toe the next 12 years of her life without breaking any bones, but sadly had to stop due to studies.

Rachelle stumbled across Flare Dance Ensemble during her second-year of university, where the sight of the banner in front of Union House caught her eye. She decided to revisit her passion for dance by attending Flare’s Welcome week dance classes. Amazed by the high standard of dance Flare members had, she decided to commit and learn from her peers and choreographers.

Rachelle is grateful for having been given the opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and try different styles of dance. She wishes to welcome and inspire fellow peers and new members to learn, but most importantly have fun and meet genuine friends who will last a lifetime.

Likes: Ballet, Girlstyle / Comm Girls, Lyrical, K-Pop, ~special​ brownies~

Kay was already a passionate dancer in her home country, Malaysia. After arriving in Melbourne on her own, with everything being foreign to her, she was lucky that the only friend she knew was already a member of Flare. She was encouraged to participate in Welcome Week but was hesitant, because she was very shy and not used to being outside of her comfort zone. Eventually she went for it, thinking that the best way for her to make new friends would be through her passion for dance. To her surprise, Flare was filled with friendly and talented people who helped her feel at home by supporting and taking care of her, even though she was previously a stranger.

While being part of the Flare-mily in her first year, she enjoyed every single moment. After performing for UniMelb's Night Market, Flare's Cocktail Night, and Flare's Unspoken Production, her dancing immensely improved (and so did her social life).

For 2018 she was inspired to become a Videos Officer, with aims to create content showing the strong passion and connection among the members in Flare. She hopes she can portray all the hard work and dedication of the members through her videos so that Flare’s fire can burn brighter and longer.

Likes: Dancehall, Hip Hop, Girlstyle / Comm' Girls, 16 Shots - Stefflon Don, Shots (ft Lil Jon) - LMFAO, Two Shots - Lil Wayne, getting that shot

Prior to 2017, her first year of uni, Ashley had never set foot in a dance studio. However, after getting into K-pop and trying to learn some easy K-pop dances (and at the encouragement of her close friend Viv), Ashley decided to join Monash’s dance club to gain a new hobby.

Little did she know what lay in store for her. After signing up to be a member of MMJ, a month later she signed up for the FFAMM Dance Camp. It was over this amazing three day experience that she made a whole lot of new Flarian friends, and was exposed to more dance styles. After camp, Ashley realised that dance was becoming something bigger than she expected—so in semester two she also became an official member of Flare Dance Ensemble.

Since then, Ashley has become more and more involved in Flare. From willingly waking up early and spending hours on public transport to attend numerous casual classes, to casting for gigs, to co-creating a piece for Cocktail Night and running for Videos Officer in 2018, she’s dived headfirst into this hobby—and she doesn’t regret any of it.

Moving forward, Ashley is excited to grow even more as a dancer. She wishes new members of Flare good luck on their own dance journey, and to stay positive, for you never know what your future holds.

Likes: Lyrical, K-pop, Art, Reading, Movies

Joy’s initial interest in dance began in high school, where she signed herself up for a one-semester dance elective (and no, sadly, Joy did not turn into a professional dancer after just one sem of dance). Throughout her VCE years, Joy’s interest in dance gradually dwindled away.

However, during her second year of uni, Joy’s passion for dance was reignited and deepened by Flare. Following successive Facebook and YouTube stalking, Joy finally gathered up the courage to join the club during O-Week. With little dance experience in hand, she struggled her way through her first few classes with a dose of shyness and awkwardness. Despite so, Joy was able to immensely develop and progress as a dancer by taking part in the 2017 Unspoken Production, performance classes, external gigs, and O-Week performances. Flare had given her myriads of opportunities and the confidence to showcase herself as a dancer. Along the way, Joy had also built countless friendships and met many, many talented and encouraging people. This is what made Flare so special to her.

As part of the 2018 committee, Joy wishes to help all new members of Flare, with or without a dance background, to feel welcome and accepted. She would like to see Flare continue its growth as a supportive and loving Flaremily.

Likes: Girlstyle / Comm Girls, Lyrical, K-Pop, SWOTVAC cramming, sunglasses (to look cool)

After watching her brother dance since she was not-so-little for many years, Tran started to develop interest and passion for the hobby herself. She heard many amazing stories, watched Flare’s Annual Production regularly, and then made the goal to join Flare when she started her first year in university in 2015. But after paying for a year’s membership, she only attended 2 classes before her shy side took over.

2016 began, and she decided to try again. It was the first proper year of her dance journey. Tran started as a shy, quiet, timid dancer (still being a little shy and quiet today), and steadily improved over the years and was given many opportunities to try different genres, perform, and be in video projects. Most importantly, she was able to be an active member of the Flare family.

As part of the 2018 committee, Tran aims to provide the same encouragement and support she received in the past years to her fellow Flarians, old and new, and to help everyone create unforgettable memories as part of Flare.

Likes: Commercial, Lyrical, ankle socks