Artist of the Issue: Ella Waag ’26 Pursues Music, Choreography

THIJS WITTINK/DEERFIELD SCROLL

Ella Waag ‘26 started dancing at a young age under the influence of her sister and the popularity of dancing back in her hometown, Hong Kong. “I started doing it, and I really loved it,” she said. “I loved performing, I loved being on stage, and that's kind of where my passion for dance grew.” In addition to the performing arts, Waag has an interest in singing, which dates back to her time in her kindergarten choir.

At Deerfield, Waag pursued her artistic passions in greater depth and breadth. In addition to being part of the Deerfield Vocal Ensemble class and the DA chorus, she also formed her own band with her friends and joined acapella groups such as the Rhapso-D’s, Deerfield’s the all-female acapella group. “I found a lot more passion for singing at Deerfield,” Waag claimed. “In Rhapso-D’s, we do more pop, with my band I do folk music, and in choir we do choral music.” Exposure to multiple genres allowed her to explore her interests while receiving technical advice from the voice coaches at Deerfield.

While Waag has danced and sung concurrently for most of her life, she noted that the two rarely overlap. “The only real overlap I’ve done with singing and dancing is the musical, which I did this winter,” she said. “That was really fun. It was cool to have both of those combined.” Outside the musical, Waag completely separates the two; she explains it is because “the styles I sing [are]very different than my dancing because I feel like I don't really sing much hip-hop.”

Waag credits her former hip-hop teacher Stephine Shumway as a significant role model in Deerfield. “I had a lot of energy, but I didn’t know what to do with it,” she recalled. “She taught me how to really use that energy and control it.” Waag also recalled the challenges of adjusting to a new environment, describing it as being “a small fish in a big pond.” To her, Shumway’s encouragement made her someone she not only “looked up to…as a dancer, but as someone who believed in [her] throughout like the whole process.”

The biggest challenge in Waag’s artistic career was Shumway’s departure. Without a hip-hop teacher, the program had to rely on student choreography and student-run pieces. Waag noted that “we don't have a hip-hop teacher, so I'm definitely [doing] less hip-hop than I have in the past, which has kind of been a challenge.” This pushed her to seek more opportunities independently and adapt her approach to the arts to maintain her involvement.

Waag cited singing at a Celtics game as being among her most memorable artistic highlights. “[It’s] definitely going to be one of the biggest audiences I perform for,” she said. For dance, Waag noted that they have fewer opportunities to travel and perform, but her first Fall Family Weekend showcase at Deerfield was an especially memorable moment. “I remember coming back to the Crow and all my friends were congratulating me, and it's the first time they had ever seen me dance.” 

Now in her senior spring, Waag remains active on stage as she prepares to graduate. In the last three weeks of her time at Deerfield, Waag will perform her senior pieces in both the choir and dance showcases, as well as a final KFC performance with her band. Beyond Deerfield, Waag plans to continue pursuing her passions at Wake Forest University. “They have a good acappella group there, an all-girls one that I'm trying to join,” she said. “And I'm definitely going to find a way to do hip-hop…there's a bunch of different ways I can do it.”

Reflecting on her experiences, Waag encourages authenticity and vulnerability. “Just be your authentic self in both areas. I think both are like very vulnerable moments,” she said. “If you just show your authentic self, then you're able to open yourself up to people.” In addition, she hopes that the Deerfield community can continue to be a “supportive system”, reminding Deerfield students to “always bring the energy, giving people support, because the love that you show to other people, you'll get in return.”