Dazed Magazine - May 2020 issue

LEE CHAEYEON EXCERPT

What is everyone up to these days?
Chaeyeon: I’m practicing dancing and singing as usual, and I’m hooked on drawing illustrations these days. There are people who draw with gadgets such as tablets (digital art), but I like the unique feeling of drawing with my hands (on paper/canvas), so I’m trying to venture on my own distinct feeling and drawing style. I’ll show it to our fans once I’m a little more polished.

You'd feel the urge to move around these days as we’re all indoors, it seems like you’ve discovered your own way to do it. Chaeyeon's skills are the talk of the town, so how do you practice it?
Chaeyeon: I was actually so stiff at first that I couldn’t even do body waves. So I placed myself against the wall and mastered my head, chest, and abdomen movements one by one. I’ve been dancing since the 1st year of middle school, so I’ve been practicing dancing for around 8 years. I’m still doing my best in practicing the basics. At first, it took me a really long time to memorise a choreography because my learning ability was lacking, but the duration has been shortened a lot now. I think the members also absorbed the Fiesta choreography quicker than La Vie en Rose. From what I’m seeing, it’s not only me, but also, the members’ skills have been improving as well.

‪If you have a dream of your own, what would it be?‬
Chaeyeon: I used to be afraid of challenges, but I've now started drawing and learning English. This year, I plan to focus a little more on these and spend time creating things of my own. Even though I’m not completely perfect in Japanese, I’m able to hold simple conversations with fans. And not just in Japanese, I want to communicate with fans from all around the world. I'm learning english because I think that it’s important to be able to speak the language rather than using a translator to deliver the words that I really want to say. I believe that our fans were the ones who gave us so much love for us to challenge what we have in mind and make it reality.

by: flyingeleven
images by: mechuri_ahl