An archive of a life in dance

IsabelleLiu

From a pink skirt at her first ballet class to solos on competition stages: ballet, lyrical and jazz, gathered in one place.

We take a step, then we stumble. The joy in life comes when we make a dance out of both.

Rich Turner

The timeline

Every year, a little higher.

01The Dance Station

Early years

First steps

It started in a pink skirt. First classes at the barre, first curtsies for the camera, and a first little trophy held tight backstage, already grinning like the stage was home.

02Royal Academy of Dance

RAD years

Learning the language

Graded exams built the foundation: lilac leotards, exam numbers pinned on, and swishing character skirts for folk-inspired dances. Discipline, one plié at a time.

03Year-end recitals

Recitals

First stages

Sequins, tulle and flower crowns. The recital stage was where technique first met an audience, and where she learned to love the lights.

04Ballet

2023

The classical solo

A white tutu, a dark stage and a single spotlight. Years of training became line, balance and quiet confidence.

05Phoenix Dance Competition

2025

Competition season

Four pieces, three styles, one season. A Coppélia variation on pointe, a lyrical solo, and two duos, proof that she could move between classical precision and contemporary feeling without missing a beat.

CoppéliaBallet solo · Classical variation en pointe
Lyrical soloLyrical solo · Extensions, tilts and flight
Lyrical duoLyrical duo · Partnered lines and lifts
Gimme moreJazz duo · Sharp, fast and in unison

06Phoenix Dance Competition

2026

Two solos, two worlds

Vogue was all attitude: kicks to the ceiling, split leaps and a knowing smile. Mercy was its opposite, soft and searching, a lyrical solo that lives in the pauses.