Joey Zhang, alongside Cesar Barrera, heads the Yonkers High International Gala, overseeing operations with all the various dance groups in the club. Joey also captains Korean Gala, is a part of Italian gala, and is well equipped to run a club as large as this one as they have experience as being President of GSA. Our very own Sofía Fernández had the pleasure of interviewing them to talk about current and upcoming plans for Gala!
Sofía Fernández (SF):
How long have you been doing gala?
Joey Zhang (JZ):
I have been doing gala since my freshman year, or rather, since when I could start before it extended the ability for 8th graders to take part as well. My sisters were a part of a gala the year I was in 8th grade so I was excited to join one the moment I could. I also did it last year, and this year will be my final year, which is really sad.
SF:
What responsibilities do you have to take overseeing the whole gala?
JZ:
Overseeing the whole gala, I talk to all the other captains about their concerns and note them to bring them up to Mrs. Reynoso of the language department. Since I want everything to go as smoothly as possible with our 3-4 months of practice, I want everyone to enjoy all the time we have together. I also talk to Mrs. Reynoso by myself, and I helped create the announcement for gala tryouts in the first place. I’ll have more to do nearing performance day, but for right now, serving as a communicator is fine with me.
SF:
How do you feel about the Gala this year?
JZ:
As a whole? As a concept? We still lost a lot of opportunities for people trying out because of COVID, and that placed a limit on us last year and this year. No one knew what gala was besides the seniors and juniors last year with our experience during 2020, and that made people more hesitant to try out because they didn’t know what they would be getting themselves into. With our one month of preparation, that also did not help. This year, I feel like we got more exposure but still not enough, because there will never be the greater reach that gala 2019-2020 had. I am grateful for our gala promotions and feel everyone is working hard, so I’m already proud of us, even though it has only been a month of practice, I can see the work paying off already.
SF:
What would you tell people who are considering joining gala next year?
JZ:
Do it! It is such a fun bonding experience, you get to dance and put yourself out there while simultaneously meeting new people that you can talk to about stuff more than what you are doing. All of my friendships were deepened because there is no way that it wouldn’t be if we’re all struggling to do a part of a dance or clowning around doing other dances besides the ones on the setlist. There is no time like the present, no? This opportunity at our school shows such a variety of cultures and experiences, and you do not want to miss out if you are thinking about trying it out already.
SF:
What is advice you want to give to the captains of the gala groups?
JZ:
It is okay to yell and need time for that. It can get frustrating doing one part of a dance repeatedly when you think it’s simpler, but everyone has a different dancing experience, some might not even have any. Try your best to have patience and reassure everyone that you only want the best for them, especially on performance day. Be gentle! However rough you are, everyone has feelings, and those feelings could get hurt, which is something we want to avoid. I could do all this sweet talk, but you also have to draw the line between being nice and being strict. Control your members but make sure you're not scaring them in that process, even though sometimes being scary is necessary. Basically, limit yourself to the best of your ability but only when you need to. Let loose and have fun! We are all here to have fun, and I think I have said that so much that it has basically lost its meaning for me, but you get what I mean.
SF:
What is one thing you enjoy about Gala and one thing that you don’t?
JZ:
One thing I enjoy about gala is the environment. The positive stress I get from watching my members practice and gradually improve? There is not a better feeling in the world. I also love getting to watch the groups practice besides my own because it gives me a chance to relax during my five-minute breaks, while also drawing inspiration from how other captains teach and act. I love getting closer to all my members and learning the small things about them that they share, the bonding is so fun and deep. The community is great, truly. Something I despise is having to give criticism that can hurt feelings. I’m always too scared of being too harsh on any of my members, and it’s hard to stomach the look of pain across their faces when they thought they were doing well, but there’s a comment that must be made. I only want the best for them, but it’s an internal battle every time. The positive stress I mentioned earlier? Absolutely all of that leaves as soon as crunch time happens, and it is replaced with me losing my mind from little details, people not coming to practice, etc. Another thing I hate is the judgment I receive. I get called out a lot for being captain of Korean gala because I’m not Korean, but that isn’t fair as I am only carrying out what the previous gala captains did. I’m still putting in all the effort to learn and teach these dances, and I feel like they’re all dismissed just because I’m not Korean and we cover kpop dances. I work so hard to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves and learning the traditional dances, and this is the kind of commentary I get when walking the halls. That’s more of a personal experience though.
SF:
Any additional things or thoughts you want to share?
JZ:
Whenever there is an issue, however big or small, communicate it with your members, with your captains. There is no point in taking part if you are not enjoying it, if you are not having fun. Thank you for the interview!
Credits:
Interviewer - Sofía Fernández
Interviewee - Joey Zhang
Transcriber - Sofía Fernández, Joey Zhang
Editors - Michael Marchionna, Sofía Fernández, Dani Gazard
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