Quick Question
Shes been dancing for over a decade.
Now shes taking on a global stage.
Everyone has a moment when they dream about quitting their boring office job to pursue a hobby full-time.
Some people love knitting or jewelry making, and they hope to start an online business.
For Sunny Choi, 35, her hobby-turned-career pipe dream was break dancing.
Choi has been break dancing or breaking for over 17 years.
By day, Choi was Estee Lauders director of global creative operations for skin care.
By night, she was winning breaking competitions with her signature dance moves and bubbly stage presence.
Once breaking wasofficially recognized as an Olympic sportin 2022, Choi took the leap and quit her job.
One of the messages thats really important in breaking is being authentic, she says.
The first time I saw breaking was when my little brother showed me a video on YouTube around 2007.
I started dancing all the time as a creative outlet, and then I began to compete in 2012.
Breaking is so different from gymnastics, so I try not to use any of those moves when dancing.
More than anything, gymnastics taught me body awareness and soft skills, like determination and grit.
Historically there also havent been many opportunities for breakers in the U.S.
I never considered breaking full-time until it was announced for the Olympics.
The DJ picks the music for us, and then you just walk out there and dance.
At a recent event, the DJ did a remix of Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar.
He turned it into more of a breakbeat, meaning he looped the song.
Everyone got super hyped.
I have a lot of signature moves, too.
The whole point of breaking is to take something and make it your own.
I have a bad habit of bulldozing through the day without taking a break.
I have a therapist who suggested I take 10 seconds in between tasks to recenter.
It forces me to check my energy levels to ensure Im not running on 10%.
I also dohot vinyasa yoga.
Its good for mobility, which is so important, but its also good for my mental health.
Most days it doesnt feel real.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
