When she was 16, she moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles, California with her mother, where they struggled to pay for basic necessities…This was where she also started her journey with The Lab Dance group…Her skills and passion as well as her difficult upbringing caught the attention of her dance directors who would tell her, “Don’t worry. Your time’s coming.”
Guys, have you ever met Sienna Lalau? Well, if you have not, today’s Asian Spotlight will be on her! If you have met her though, I’m insanely envious of you!
Now, who exactly is Sienna Lalau? Uh, why, one of the youngest, most talented, and most creative dance choreographers out there right now, of course!
Her Collaboration with the hottest South Korean boy band in the world: BTS
And why am I head-over-heels for her? Well, have any of you guys ever heard of the global phenomenon, BTS? Yes, the seven-member South Korean boy band group who are basically taking over the world by storm, especially in America.
If you already cannot tell, I am a HUGE BTS fan (yes, I have joined their ARMY). Now, I am not as passionate as my fellow ARMY brothers and sisters; however, I still love the group very dearly for their incredible talent, hard work, creative style, and most of all, their meaningful and inspiring messages and missions for their fans: to love yourself. Hey, this blogger loves to talk about the importance of self-love so she’s totally behind this beautiful and uplifting movement!
To love yourself. What a great message, huh?
That aside, these amazing artists have churned out several fantastic songs over the years since their debut in 2013. But my latest favorite from them is the song “ON,” the lead single of their album Map of the Soul: 7. They released a music video for that song and guess who was the brilliant mastermind behind all those sizzling moves? Yes, you guessed right! Sienna Lalau!
If you have not checked out the video yet, you MUST do so now!!! In fact, here it is below for your convenience!
Video from YouTube
The South Korean singers were also invited onto The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform in the Grand Central Terminal, and, of course, they blew the host (and audience) away with the passion of their dance and emotions of their song. In fact, the performance was so freaking epic that the YouTube video has accumulated nearly 44.7 million views as of the time that I am writing this post. And I am sure it won’t stop increasing (mainly because I am the one who keeps replaying it).
Video from YouTube
“ON” Music Video & Dance Choreography
Meanwhile, the original music video, featuring Sienna Lalau and her fellow dance peers (from the dance group, The Lab (who were the winners of Jennifer Lopez’s World of Dance Season 2 television competition series)), for BTS’s “ON” Kinetic Manifesto Film has accrued a whopping 329 million views!!!
So, why do people LOVE this performance? Well, I’ll take a shot at it and put in my two cents. First of all, I am blown away by the amount of choreography that’s going on simultaneously throughout the performance. Remember, BTS is the main act and Sienna has to consider what they are supposed to be doing while the song plays–who is singing and should get front and center stage; who will sing next, so where and how are they waiting; and what the other members are doing while they’re not in the spotlight or focus of that moment.
Then, she has to also contemplate what the background dancers are doing, too. And from the looks of it, she has them split up in about two or three groups doing their own thing alongside or behind the BTS members.
To sum it all up, this girl has to handle about four, five, six, or even more things all happening at the same time. If that is not a remarkable feat, I don’t know what is. However, here is the interesting part: Sienna Lalau is only NINETEEN years old! Or she was when she produced this masterpiece. Yes, 19-mother-freaking-years-old. I’m floored by her youth, creativity, and passion! You go, girl!!!
Wondering what Sienna said about this extraordinary opportunity to get to be the lead dance choreographer for BTS’s latest lead single, “ON”? See below:
Sienna Lalau: Background
So, BTS music video aside now, who is Sienna Lalau? A Samoan American who was born on December 16th, 2000 (wow! what a baby!!! 😍) in Waiphahu, Hawaii, she is a(n extraordinary) dancer and choreographer. Having started dancing at the age of 3 or 4, Sienna began choreographing when she was just 10 years old!!!!
Look, I don’t know what’s considered the most unbelievable age to begin choreographing dance moves; I was a tutor before and I’ve worked with several 10-years-olds, so I’m just really impressed that at age (again) 10 (!!!), she was already choreographing dance moves to build up her portfolio!
Her church had had a hip hop dance team which she was a part of. Being the only kid on the team, she didn’t let her youth stop her. With years of dance experience under her belt–which she had as a benefit over her older peers, she choreographed a dance for them and from there, fell in love with creating.
When she was 16, she moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles, California with her mother, where they struggled to pay for basic necessities, such as rent and groceries. This was where she also started her journey with The Lab Dance group and blossomed into one of their most talented members. Her skills and passion as well as her difficult upbringing caught the attention of her dance directors who would tell her, “Don’t worry. Your time’s coming” (so inspiring, guys! 😭).
Humble Beginnings
With their encouragement and support, Sienna worked hard. Very soon after–a couple months, to be exact–her time finally did come! A video she had uploaded had become viral, and her directors pushed her to do as many things as possible to build her resume and skill set. Sienna listened, then found herself traveling, teaching her fellow dance members for their performances in the World of Dance competition, and working with different music artists.
When she uploaded a dance choreography for BTS’s song “Dionysus” (which she co-choreographed with fellow The Lab member, Andrew Elam), that was when she struck gold. The South Korean megastars took notice and loved her work, to the point that they used her entire choreography, something she said had never happened before. Previously, other artists had only used bits and pieces of her work. Just to give you guys a small measure of just how much BTS appreciated her work: well, they showcased it in their comeback special and also on their recent tour (pre-COVID).
Sienna’s Rise
It would be safe to say that Sienna’s skills are magnificent for the worldwide sensation to tap her twice for their performances (“Dionysus” and “ON”). In fact, she and her fellow The Lab members have also danced live with BTS for their Rose Bowl Stadium performance for the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself Tour back in 2019.
Furthermore, Sienna has also worked with BTS member J-Hope for his collaboration with singer Becky G for his song “Chicken Noodle Soup.” As a testament to her passion and talents, he has praised her and The Lab dance group in a video he released on Instagram (SOURCE: Candy Mag):
The Lab and Sienna are not only a gem in BTS’s eyes, either. Jennifer Lopez has also had them on one of her tours, as well, for two months. One quick note: Sienna was one of the choreographers for The Lab’s dance performances on JLo’s television competition.
I guess I am turning into a Sienna fangirl now, but that is because I am still admiring the idea of having the dancers hold drumsticks for the choreography of “ON,” since the song is so drum-heavy. In addition, the fact that many of their moves match the beat and intricacies of the song and lyrics just makes me, as an artist, squeal with delight and joy. Again, this girl was NINETEEN when she brainstormed and brought this choreography to fruition. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for her and what other creations she will bring to life in her future as a professional dancer and choreographer!
Support Sienna Lalau
If you want to know more about Sienna, you can find interviews with her here and here. To support her, please follow her social media handles: