[w.i.p.] - empire.
EMPIRE.
⇾ exo | jongin/sehun
⇾ ~1,700 words
⇾ PG-13
[Brief] Synopsis: In which EXO is an acrobatic troupe;
Ballet: Jongin; Aerial tissu: Sehun; Acrobats (strength): Yifan, Tao; Acrobats (Bungee): Baekhyun, Luhan, Yixing, Kyungsoo; Acrobats (Korean plank): Chanyeol, Minseok, Joonmyun, Jongdae, Baekhyun, Luhan, Yixing, Kyungsoo; Acrobats (floor work): all.
Hello.
I know your name, but you have no need in knowing mine. My job is simply to narrate the story of a group of young talents, better known together as the group Exō. As I am sure you know, Exō is world famous theatrical private acrobatic troupe. They are comprised of twelve members, with an additional eighteen in crew, seven in costume and makeup, and three in management. Defined by the media as being part of the nouveau cirque, they are set to tour year after year, to travel throughout continents and cities performing their shows for ever-eager audiences. A young troupe - just two years old - but already under high demand, the members work tirelessly on stage and off, individual skills tying together seamlessly and executed perfectly. But this perfection never started out perfect.
Of the twelve performers, none had an easy start. The troupe of twelve is made up of eleven acrobats - that specialise in different areas - and a ballet artist. With four Chinese members, this small troupe materialised following the meeting of two of our acrobats in Ho Chin Minh, Vietnam. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Please, allow me to tell you the stories of each and every one of our beloved twelve.
Our solo ballerina, born Kim Jongin, goes by the stage name Kai. An early-morning baby birthed on the 14th of January, he turns 20 this year - on the troupe's second performance of the year. As a child growing up, he expressed heavy interest in the performing arts, and despite being a working-class family, his parents managed to fund his jazz and ballet classes for six years, with Jongin starting classes at the tender age of eight. Spending every available second of his time on dance, Jongin took to the streets in an attempt to relieve his parents' financial burden the day he turned sixteen. As a street performer in the busy streets of Seoul, he had a rougher than rough start. Too busy to stop and watch, people simply passed on by, and on more occasions than not, Jongin would be knocked off balance by jostling crowds. But on a fateful Sunday, Jongin meets a fellow street performer (who had already made somewhat of a name for himself on the streets) - Park Chanyeol - and together, they made a street corner their second home. Chanyeol would also turn out to be Jongin's ticket into the troupe, but that story is for a later time.
Park Chanyeol, a little over a year older than Jongin with a birthdate of November 27th, 1992, did not start out with an interest in performing. Instead, he had an aching aspiration to play in the NBA. But after accidentally landing on an acrobatic program on late-night TV, nine year old Chanyeol bounded over to his mother and pleaded for her to enrol him in an acrobatic training course. At seventeen, being a teenager short on cash, Chanyeol found a spacious corner a block down from his home and made it his, showcasing a variety of tricks that highlighted his flexibility and stamina. His performances lacked structure, but they were more than entertaining enough to fund his wants and a little more. After Jongin joined him in his corner, their friendship blossomed with their joined interest in performing, and strengthened with the continued success of their street gig.
Luhan goes to the same training company as Chanyeol, but they've only crossed paths in the fluorescent lit hallways of the building they spend hours in after school. Birthed on April 20th, 1990 in Beijing, he found himself introduced to the performing arts as a toddler, chubby hand curled around the index finger of his favourite uncle who ran a small but relatively successful acrobatic troupe in the busy Chinese city. That troupe's long retired, but Luhan will always think of their performances as the highlights of his childhood. After moving to South Korea at eighteen as an exchange student, Luhan took half a year off his training in order to focus on his studies and on learning the Korean language. He ended his break by enrolling in Chanyeol's PA company, and with his background, climbed the ranks in record time. But at the age of twenty, Luhan felt stuck. Jumping between small jobs attained through the company's hiring system, there was nowhere else for Luhan to go, with him lacking opportunities to develop his art. Of course, that nagging doubt would all disappear in just a matter of time - again, a story for later.
A fellow Chinese native by the name of Zhang Yixing - perhaps better known by the public as Lay - was born a year and half after Luhan in Changsha. Hardworking and dependable, Yixing was taken under the wing of a once-famous acrobat, and coached into a performer well known province-wide. But Yixing's fame never extended out of Hunan, and months after he had moved to Seoul in an attempt to further his career, Yixing found himself busing tables at a roadside café in order to earn his keeps. Lacking skills in the language, Yixing lived a quiet life in Seoul (mostly) by himself - until he met a tall, imposing couple… that turned out to be not so imposing after all.
This said couple is comprised of Wu Yifan and Huang Zitao. With an age difference of two and a half years, they had met a few years back when Yifan left Vancouver and moved to Beijing for better training in acrobatics, ending up in the same company as Zitao who had similarly moved from Qingdao. Becoming fast friends due to close interests, their friendship had quickly developed into something more, and after establishing themselves within their company as an impressive strength act, they had enjoyed having a stable job performing for their company. After two years of performing with the company, Yifan convinced Zitao to move - new experiences, he had said. Thankfully, with recommendations from their coaches, they had managed to find a job at a theatre where they perform three days a week. Bumping into Yixing at the café he worked at was out of fate, they like to claim - Zitao very much enjoys exploring small cafés and pulling Yifan along with him.
Byun Baekhyun, Do Kyungsoo, and Kim Joonmyun, all birthed into well-to-do families, were the apples of their parents' eyes. Anything they wanted they would get - within reasonable boundaries, of course. So when all three wanted to get into the performing arts, they were enrolled into Seoul's top PA company without a second's hesitation. Having all lived in big houses on the same street, they entered the company already knowing each other, and by the end of their first year, found the best friends in each other that they never would've found anywhere else. During summer one year, Baekhyun left his two best friends behind (a little reluctantly) and travelled to Ho Chin Minh with his family for a short vacation. Coincidentally, Oh Sehun happened to be in the same city at the same time - for work.
Oh Sehun is the youngest, arguably the most sensitive, and the only one in the troupe trained in aerial tissu. Having started training since the age of six, aerial tissu is Sehun's choice of work and consequently, income. Having nothing else but a (mediocre due to too much time spent on practice) high school degree to rely on, Sehun takes any job offering that comes his way as long as it involves a ribbon. Because of fluctuating demand, Sehun never has a fixed position in any company - and on the day he met Baekhyun, it was his first week with the troupe he was hired into. Baekhyun had convinced his parents to watch an acrobatic performance in a small theatre, managing to snag front row seats. At the end of Sehun's set, Baekhyun's jaw hung completely slack. A half hour later, he pulled Sehun out from backstage - from where he had paid off the bouncer to gain access into - and asked the aerialist for his name. They traded contact information and parted ways. On the way back to his hotel, Baekhyun kept picturing the lack of light in Sehun's dark eyes. How can one be so high up in the air and not be exhilarated?
On the other end of the age spectrum lies Kim Minseok. He is the oldest - a little over four years older than Sehun. Before the birth of Exō, he was placed relatively high on the roster for one of Seoul's most prestigious performing arts company, and as a result, Minseok was able to enjoy both performing for the money and for his love of the art after three years of gruelling training. When his younger cousin, Jongdae, after being inspired by one of Minseok's shows, expressed interest in the industry, Minseok pulled a few strings and got Jongdae pushed up the waiting list for admittance. Jongdae learned fast, and a mere year after starting his training, Jongdae joined his cousin on the company's active roster. Jongdae's good friend since kindergarten is no other than Joonmyun.
In October of 2011, the seed of Exō was planted in Baekhyun's mind. Suddenly unsatisfied with how stifling being taught choreography was in terms of personal creativity, Baekhyun had impulsively left his company, leaving Kyungsoo and Joonmyun shocked and in his wake. He didn't stay away from the art long, however, sneaking into his old company's studios whenever Kyungsoo and Joonmyun were inside in order to join them for practice.
"What exactly do you plan on doing, Baek?" Kyungsoo had asked one day as he sat against a wall, watching Joonmyun walk aimlessly up and down the length of the teeterboard. Joonmyun glanced up at Kyungsoo's question, and Baekhyun sighed.
"If only I knew," he admitted. A pause, where Joonmyun bounced on the edge of the board a couple of times and Kyungsoo stretched out his toes. Then, "I should start my own troupe."
Joonmyun stumbled and one end of the teeterboard slapped the ground. Kyungsoo jumped at the sound and turned to stare at an enlightened Baekhyun.
"What?"
Baekhyun grinned. "We should start our own troupe."
- inspired by the cirque du soliel
twitter tumblr fandom!tumblr ask.fm instagram listography
⇾ exo | jongin/sehun
⇾ ~1,700 words
⇾ PG-13
[Brief] Synopsis: In which EXO is an acrobatic troupe;
Ballet: Jongin; Aerial tissu: Sehun; Acrobats (strength): Yifan, Tao; Acrobats (Bungee): Baekhyun, Luhan, Yixing, Kyungsoo; Acrobats (Korean plank): Chanyeol, Minseok, Joonmyun, Jongdae, Baekhyun, Luhan, Yixing, Kyungsoo; Acrobats (floor work): all.
Hello.
I know your name, but you have no need in knowing mine. My job is simply to narrate the story of a group of young talents, better known together as the group Exō. As I am sure you know, Exō is world famous theatrical private acrobatic troupe. They are comprised of twelve members, with an additional eighteen in crew, seven in costume and makeup, and three in management. Defined by the media as being part of the nouveau cirque, they are set to tour year after year, to travel throughout continents and cities performing their shows for ever-eager audiences. A young troupe - just two years old - but already under high demand, the members work tirelessly on stage and off, individual skills tying together seamlessly and executed perfectly. But this perfection never started out perfect.
Of the twelve performers, none had an easy start. The troupe of twelve is made up of eleven acrobats - that specialise in different areas - and a ballet artist. With four Chinese members, this small troupe materialised following the meeting of two of our acrobats in Ho Chin Minh, Vietnam. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Please, allow me to tell you the stories of each and every one of our beloved twelve.
Our solo ballerina, born Kim Jongin, goes by the stage name Kai. An early-morning baby birthed on the 14th of January, he turns 20 this year - on the troupe's second performance of the year. As a child growing up, he expressed heavy interest in the performing arts, and despite being a working-class family, his parents managed to fund his jazz and ballet classes for six years, with Jongin starting classes at the tender age of eight. Spending every available second of his time on dance, Jongin took to the streets in an attempt to relieve his parents' financial burden the day he turned sixteen. As a street performer in the busy streets of Seoul, he had a rougher than rough start. Too busy to stop and watch, people simply passed on by, and on more occasions than not, Jongin would be knocked off balance by jostling crowds. But on a fateful Sunday, Jongin meets a fellow street performer (who had already made somewhat of a name for himself on the streets) - Park Chanyeol - and together, they made a street corner their second home. Chanyeol would also turn out to be Jongin's ticket into the troupe, but that story is for a later time.
Park Chanyeol, a little over a year older than Jongin with a birthdate of November 27th, 1992, did not start out with an interest in performing. Instead, he had an aching aspiration to play in the NBA. But after accidentally landing on an acrobatic program on late-night TV, nine year old Chanyeol bounded over to his mother and pleaded for her to enrol him in an acrobatic training course. At seventeen, being a teenager short on cash, Chanyeol found a spacious corner a block down from his home and made it his, showcasing a variety of tricks that highlighted his flexibility and stamina. His performances lacked structure, but they were more than entertaining enough to fund his wants and a little more. After Jongin joined him in his corner, their friendship blossomed with their joined interest in performing, and strengthened with the continued success of their street gig.
Luhan goes to the same training company as Chanyeol, but they've only crossed paths in the fluorescent lit hallways of the building they spend hours in after school. Birthed on April 20th, 1990 in Beijing, he found himself introduced to the performing arts as a toddler, chubby hand curled around the index finger of his favourite uncle who ran a small but relatively successful acrobatic troupe in the busy Chinese city. That troupe's long retired, but Luhan will always think of their performances as the highlights of his childhood. After moving to South Korea at eighteen as an exchange student, Luhan took half a year off his training in order to focus on his studies and on learning the Korean language. He ended his break by enrolling in Chanyeol's PA company, and with his background, climbed the ranks in record time. But at the age of twenty, Luhan felt stuck. Jumping between small jobs attained through the company's hiring system, there was nowhere else for Luhan to go, with him lacking opportunities to develop his art. Of course, that nagging doubt would all disappear in just a matter of time - again, a story for later.
A fellow Chinese native by the name of Zhang Yixing - perhaps better known by the public as Lay - was born a year and half after Luhan in Changsha. Hardworking and dependable, Yixing was taken under the wing of a once-famous acrobat, and coached into a performer well known province-wide. But Yixing's fame never extended out of Hunan, and months after he had moved to Seoul in an attempt to further his career, Yixing found himself busing tables at a roadside café in order to earn his keeps. Lacking skills in the language, Yixing lived a quiet life in Seoul (mostly) by himself - until he met a tall, imposing couple… that turned out to be not so imposing after all.
This said couple is comprised of Wu Yifan and Huang Zitao. With an age difference of two and a half years, they had met a few years back when Yifan left Vancouver and moved to Beijing for better training in acrobatics, ending up in the same company as Zitao who had similarly moved from Qingdao. Becoming fast friends due to close interests, their friendship had quickly developed into something more, and after establishing themselves within their company as an impressive strength act, they had enjoyed having a stable job performing for their company. After two years of performing with the company, Yifan convinced Zitao to move - new experiences, he had said. Thankfully, with recommendations from their coaches, they had managed to find a job at a theatre where they perform three days a week. Bumping into Yixing at the café he worked at was out of fate, they like to claim - Zitao very much enjoys exploring small cafés and pulling Yifan along with him.
Byun Baekhyun, Do Kyungsoo, and Kim Joonmyun, all birthed into well-to-do families, were the apples of their parents' eyes. Anything they wanted they would get - within reasonable boundaries, of course. So when all three wanted to get into the performing arts, they were enrolled into Seoul's top PA company without a second's hesitation. Having all lived in big houses on the same street, they entered the company already knowing each other, and by the end of their first year, found the best friends in each other that they never would've found anywhere else. During summer one year, Baekhyun left his two best friends behind (a little reluctantly) and travelled to Ho Chin Minh with his family for a short vacation. Coincidentally, Oh Sehun happened to be in the same city at the same time - for work.
Oh Sehun is the youngest, arguably the most sensitive, and the only one in the troupe trained in aerial tissu. Having started training since the age of six, aerial tissu is Sehun's choice of work and consequently, income. Having nothing else but a (mediocre due to too much time spent on practice) high school degree to rely on, Sehun takes any job offering that comes his way as long as it involves a ribbon. Because of fluctuating demand, Sehun never has a fixed position in any company - and on the day he met Baekhyun, it was his first week with the troupe he was hired into. Baekhyun had convinced his parents to watch an acrobatic performance in a small theatre, managing to snag front row seats. At the end of Sehun's set, Baekhyun's jaw hung completely slack. A half hour later, he pulled Sehun out from backstage - from where he had paid off the bouncer to gain access into - and asked the aerialist for his name. They traded contact information and parted ways. On the way back to his hotel, Baekhyun kept picturing the lack of light in Sehun's dark eyes. How can one be so high up in the air and not be exhilarated?
On the other end of the age spectrum lies Kim Minseok. He is the oldest - a little over four years older than Sehun. Before the birth of Exō, he was placed relatively high on the roster for one of Seoul's most prestigious performing arts company, and as a result, Minseok was able to enjoy both performing for the money and for his love of the art after three years of gruelling training. When his younger cousin, Jongdae, after being inspired by one of Minseok's shows, expressed interest in the industry, Minseok pulled a few strings and got Jongdae pushed up the waiting list for admittance. Jongdae learned fast, and a mere year after starting his training, Jongdae joined his cousin on the company's active roster. Jongdae's good friend since kindergarten is no other than Joonmyun.
In October of 2011, the seed of Exō was planted in Baekhyun's mind. Suddenly unsatisfied with how stifling being taught choreography was in terms of personal creativity, Baekhyun had impulsively left his company, leaving Kyungsoo and Joonmyun shocked and in his wake. He didn't stay away from the art long, however, sneaking into his old company's studios whenever Kyungsoo and Joonmyun were inside in order to join them for practice.
"What exactly do you plan on doing, Baek?" Kyungsoo had asked one day as he sat against a wall, watching Joonmyun walk aimlessly up and down the length of the teeterboard. Joonmyun glanced up at Kyungsoo's question, and Baekhyun sighed.
"If only I knew," he admitted. A pause, where Joonmyun bounced on the edge of the board a couple of times and Kyungsoo stretched out his toes. Then, "I should start my own troupe."
Joonmyun stumbled and one end of the teeterboard slapped the ground. Kyungsoo jumped at the sound and turned to stare at an enlightened Baekhyun.
"What?"
Baekhyun grinned. "We should start our own troupe."
- inspired by the cirque du soliel
twitter tumblr fandom!tumblr ask.fm instagram listography