“Well I’ve basically been dancing since I was three and couldn’t get away from it. My entire family are dancers. My dad was a breakdancer and my mom did traditional Filipino dances, so it’s kind of evident that it’s in my blood. I started with ballet though, and unlike my two sisters, I actually really hated it and never did well with the technique. My sisters and I all did competition dancing as well, but I never vibed with that scene all that much. I remember only really enjoying myself whenever my studio let me do hip hop or whenever a hip hop choreographer that I knew came and taught at dance conventions. My brother and I got into the hip hop scene on our own; he learned from music videos and I first got to try it in classes. I just really liked the energy and freedom I felt whenever I did hip hop. Dance is the first thing I ever felt like I was really good at, and it provided me with this adrenaline that I don’t get anywhere [else]. So I quit competition dancing and learned from well-known choreographers on YouTube: Keone and Mari Madrid, Kyle Hanagame, Brian Puspos, etc. My brother and I always find ourselves coming up with choreography when we hang out and both of us [make] dance videos whenever we get the chance. Basically there’s no Marie without dance and if I ever had the chance, I would definitely keep doing it in the future whether it be as a choreographer or just as a hobby.” -Marie Axalan, 12