Weekly Spotlight Conversation with Eric J.
Eric is wildfire. He became part of the CWDS family very briefly in 2018/2019 when he relocated to Singapore. He was sooooooo busy travelling (it's part of his job) all the time and before we knew it, he was back in the US as quickly as he did conquer Singapore. Nevertheless, Eric has created a profound impact in the way I look into the future of Brazilian Zouk in Singapore. He's wildly creatively imaginative, insanely enthusiastic about bodyrolls, hyper crazy about Zouk. Don't be confused though, as he has a serious side to him too (in his day job) that Zoukers never, ever, really see =P Eric is still a part of the Zouk scene in Singapore, even from the other side of the globe. Eric was one of the fervent supporters of our 1st edition of the Singapore Brazilian Zouk Festival in 2019. He had so much faith in our Zouk mission, and his belief in CWDS did instill a feeling of hope in me to trudge on =)
How long have you been dancing Zouk?
6 years
Why did you start dancing Zouk?
I had always wanted to partner dance and started with salsa given its popularity. So, when I moved to DC I committed to finally learning. During this time, a good friend of mine for months was trying to convince me to try this new dance called Zouk. I resisted but finally her persistence paid off and I surrendered. I joined her for a class with Diego and Jessica and the rest is history.
Your favourite project thus far, why did you enjoy it so much?
Helping build the DC dance scene from 20 people to 200 in 4 years with a group of wonderful local dancers who are now some of my closest friends!
Since the coronavirus lockdown worldwide, what have you been doing to stay busy?
• Facetime video conversations with friends from every corner of the globe, a few data analysis courses, and pushup challenges with friends (we just each completed 700 in a day!)
Left: Eric joining a bunch of us when we went to Vietnam Zouk Marathon 2019!
What is your favourite part about Zouk/Zouk community?
It is a colorful scene with all types of people and this is coupled with an acceptance for all. Also, the culture of you and your friends piling into a hotel room or a friend’s house for a long weekend of dancing, it feels like summer camp for adults!
What would you like to see more in SG Zouk scene?
More Cheryl Wu body isolation classes that provide a serious reality check to all
Cheryl: Hmm...
What do you do by day? International strategy consulting for a DC-based firm, ie help companies do business globally and specifically in China, India and Southeast Asia while I was based in Singapore.
Any fun and wacky facts about you?
I would probably dance every moment of life if it were socially acceptable… Business meeting presenting a city expansion strategy to the head of China for a Fortune 500 company…. aaaand body roll
Who are some of your favourite Zouk dancers/Teachers?
Bruno Galhardo, Henry (Ry'el) Valencia, and Kuna Malik.
All of them are social dancing legends!
Share a few Zouk videos that you really like!!