Meet Pauler Lam

Briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

I was born and raised in Sydney Australia and my parents are from Hong Kong. I’m what is considered an ABC (Australian Born Chinese) So growing up was a little confusing seeing as I didn’t relate to my Chinese heritage and I didn’t look like the typical Australian

Sports and Dance are what helped me find my identity, I started dancing when I was 14 years old in High School. There were 2 guys at my school who I saw doing backflips off the wall and breakdancing on the grass. I thought they were SO cool and they were happy to take me under their wing.

They taught me my first Bboy moves and also introduced me to other dancers, who would later on become my Bboy crew, SKB/Zealous

Together we became national champions of Australia and also represented our country in numerous international competitions

I always knew I loved dance more than anything else and fast forward to now, I’ve been fortunate to move to LA to pursue my dream as a professional dancer.

I’ve performed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, danced with Ariana Grande numerous times including at Coachella 2019, performed with The Jonas Brothers at the Billboard Music Awards, and toured the USA, Europe and South America with Eric Nam.

Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

As much as I love dance, it wasn’t that easy to make a living off of it back home. I worked different jobs ranging from retail, hospitality, data entry and call center. My last ‘real job’ was at a corporate office in Sydney. I worked there for 5 years and worked my way up to a manager position. I still did dance gigs here and there as a side hustle. But living the 9-5 life hurt my soul a little. It was a steady income but the artist in me was always wanting to be let out because dance was when I was always the happiest

Growing up in an Asian household, my parents hoped that I would become a Doctor or Lawyer, and my sister did well in school and set high expectations for me to follow. So they weren’t always approving of me dancing, especially when I told them I wanted to quit my well paying job to dance, which they considered just a hobby.

I was able to compete on So You Think You Can Dance Australia and Australia’s Got Talent. These achievements helped them see that I can do well with dance and eventually they supported my decision.

I started my O1 visa process in 2014 and once approved, I moved to Los Angeles in 2015! and have been the happiest I have ever been, doing what I love and loving what I’m doing 🙂

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company?

I am a Dancer and an Artist. I didn’t have the luxury to grow up and train in a dance studio. I am a self taught dancer who would jam with his friends in someone’s front drive way or garage. despite not having any formal training, my love for my art is so raw and pure because I have always danced for the fun of it I started as a Bboy, but eventually picked up Choreography. Bboys are usually strictly bboys and even on shows like SYTYCD, they are expected to not be as good at choreography as other dancers.

I saw it as an opportunity to break the stereotype and push myself to further my career in dance by being more versatile.
I am also proud to be in LA representing both my Asian and Australian backgrounds. I am successfully living out my dream and hope to inspire others of similar backgrounds to pursue theirs too!

How do you, personally, define success? What’s your criteria, the markers you’re looking out for, etc?

The idea of success is different for everyone! I personally define success as doing the best you can, being proud and happy with yourself, regardless of the result. Even if you didn’t get the result you were hoping for, you still tried your hardest and it just means it wasn’t the right time for that particular event to happen. But don’t give up! you’ve already put in the work and are on the right path. Down the track you will go through things that will make you realise why it didn’t work out at that moment in time. And when it is the right time for you, the universe will provide.

I have achieved certain goals and met some major milestones throughout my career. But I am always wanting to keep growing and push even further!

To me, I am successful because I am truly happy and doing what I love to do. And I wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂

“love the life you live, live the life you love” – Bob Marley