Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE’ chronicling the collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records, we get a documentary series that explores how six talented individuals were selected to form their first-ever global girl band. Among its eager participants was Emily Kelavos, whose bubbly personality and dance skills allured everyone before she honed in on her singing, too. That’s how she made it into the top 10, but low support from fans online owing to her looks made it clear that despite her talent being remarkable, she might not end up in the group despite being a perfect fit.
Emily Kelavos’ Dancing Skills Made Her Stand Out
Having been passionate about the craft of dance from the age of 4 and then actually getting formal lessons, Emily has known for a long while she wanted to pursue a career in it. The Dallas, Texas native hence spent a lot of time in Los Angeles, California, and essentially even began living with her mentors, who consider her their daughter and want her to succeed just as much as she wants. That’s why it was relatively easy for her to give up her life in Dallas once selected for the global girl group training and development program – because she was already on that path despite being 16 and attending school.
The truth is that Emily shone in dance from the day she first walked into the studio. She showed the execs, as well as all her fellow trainees, why she had applied as a dance specialist and that she could perfect any move in the blink of an eye. Her singing, on the other hand, was far from perfect and pitchy, but the way she resolved to work on it and gave her 200% in every lesson soon resulted in her coming out the other end. Therefore, by the time the ‘Dream Academy’ finale rolled around, she was one of the top contenders to make it into the girl group, only to not be selected primarily owing to low fan votes.
Emily Kelavos Continues to Follow Her Dream
While Emily’s heart did shatter when her name wasn’t called out to be a member of KATSEYE, she doesn’t regret the journey or the end result one bit because it prepared her for this industry. It taught her that things can be intense and fulfilling all at once, all the while also being exhausting owing to the physical efforts she has to make – she learned she has to be an athlete and a performer all at once. Therefore, today, still based in Los Angeles, Emily continues to try to make a name for herself in the entertainment world as an actress, dancer, model, as well as singer. In fact, affiliated with BlocLA Talent Agency plus SAG-AFTRA union, she has already landed some opportunities, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for her.
After all, while Emily already has some experience by having previously featured in ‘This Is Us,’ ‘Fresh Off the Boat,’ and ‘The Lazarus Effect,’ she is now focused on a much bigger scale. She has actually taken the lead in various dance cover sessions, gone viral a couple of times, served as an assistant to Nikky Paramo (a professional dancer plus her instructor in the program), as well as modeled for Wes Klain. Honestly, Emily seems to be on the right track, and with just a sprinkle of luck as well as her continued hard work, we believe she can break all bounds as a multi-faced artist plus performer.
Emily Kelavos Built Some Lifelong Friendships Through Dance Academy
The journey Emily shared with her fellow like-minded trainees to end up making a name for themselves as pop stars resulted in them forming a unique bond. However, she especially found solace in Slovakia native Adéla Jergova, Hawaiian Megan Skiendiel, and Indian-American Ezrela Abraham. She even understood not everyone could make it into the group, so she supported and continues to support the six girls who are now collectively known as KATSEYE, along with all the other former trainees.
She has been doing everything in her power to spread their exposure, from interacting with them on their posts to sharing their originals. In other words, she is not only a girl in every way but also an empathetic and kind young woman — it’s how she has also been able to maintain long-term friendships with those she has been dancing with since her early days. This much is also evident in the way this now 18-year-old spends most of her free time at the beach with them by her side.
Read More: Lee Nayoung: Where is the Pop Star Academy Participant Now?
