Sarawakian Ballroom Dancer Finds Success in Kuala Lumpur
Sarawakian ballroom dancer Khim Ho started dancing as a child, fulfils her dream and finds success as a dance instructor in Kuala Lumpur.
Khim Ho started ballroom dancing at 9 when her mother enrolled her at a family friend’s dance studio in her hometown.
Khim Ho and her partner in the competition. Photo: Khim Ho
First Ballroom Dance Class
Khim confesses that she had no prior ballet background but was inspired by her first lesson.
After her SPM, Khim jumped right in and join ballroom competitions.
She took private lessons for 2-hour sessions with an additional hour of practice every day! She went on to complete her UPSR as a Straight As’ student.
Ballroom Dancer Competition Days
She recalls a time when she entered 5 Latin and 5 Ballroom dance competition in Vietnam.
Leading up to competitions, the lessons and practices were back to back with the most gruelling schedules when she had to dance up to 12 hours a day for an entire week!
“I felt like dying, “Khim said with a bright smile,” I found out that I could push myself to the limits and but I loved it!”
“The exhilaration was very liberating to me. Dancing is my life!”
“Now I teach adult and children competition class, social dancing, performance class, and teacher-student lesson.
I encourage my students not to be afraid to commit. If there’s no commitment, there are no visible results.”
Photo: Khim Ho
Ballroom Dancer Living Her Dream as a Ballroom Dance Instructor
“My dream is to promote dance in schools and colleges. It will be a challenge to convince non-dancers to stay and love dancing after their first try.”
Khim’s advice is always to boost beginners’ confidence, as most non-dancers are afraid to start.
She is keen to make her classes fun with different music and varies the routines to encourage dancers to become bored with the same steps or too many corrections.
Khim encourages and challenges her students to keep their lessons exciting to have experienced more than once a week.
What does it take to dance with her, we asked.
“Practise, practice and more practice” was the reply. See you on the dance floor.
