Ploomy Girl #2: The Elle Word

We received numerous emails from you readers out there to check out this next lovely lady. And after looking at her flickr site and blog for only a minute, we automatically knew we had found our next Ploomy Girl.

Elle Chyun aka “Elle Rigby” is a 22-year-old dance choreographer and blogger who lives and works in New York. She is somewhat of a rarity in that she is young, but doesn’t get caught up with all the bright lights and hustle and bustle that New York offers. She is everything we are looking for in a Ploomy Girl—someone who is genuine, driven, easy on the eyes and most importantly someone who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

We spent some time with her hoping she would teach us a dance step or two on what it’s like living the dream in the city that never sleeps. Meet Elle Chyun.

Ploomy: I know you’re a Philly girl, but what’s it like living in the Big Apple?
Elle Chyun: I’m not a born and raised Philly girl [just did my undergrad there], I’m originally from Connecticut. Living in NYC is like a circus. Everybody is always doing 20 things at once. We all must look like a bunch of clowns.

Ploomy: Modern dance seems like such a big part of your life. How did you get into that?
Elle Chyun: It all started when my mom put me in dance class at age 3. After that, it was 15 years of wanting to be a ballerina. Then I spent 15 seconds in a modern dance class to realize I didn’t want anything to do with ballet. That was the point I realized I had a creative need that wasn’t being fulfilled.

Ploomy: We absolutely love your blog. Tell us about it. When did you start it and why do you keep it up?
Elle Chyun: I started my blog 3 years ago so I could have somewhere to write freely. It caught on with friends, and then friends of friends. Now I have an audience, which is pretty cool and definitely not something I anticipated. I keep it up because it’s fun for me; the other stuff, like having readers is secondary, even though I really like when I get comments. But I’m not going to lie, my friend DB really digs my blog, and he has been so encouraging. Every time I sit down to write a post, I kind of think like I’m paying him back for all the moral blog support.

Ploomy: According to your blog it sounds like you have more than one job. What else do you do?
Elle Chyun: I spent my first 5 months in New York unemployed, and now I have 5 jobs. I intern at a dance organization, design dance costumes, am a grant manager for a dance company, serve with a catering company, and I’m a personal trainer… and I’m dancing in a show coming up. Okay yeah, that’s 6.

Ploomy: I noticed on your flickr that you have a bunch of pics of the “Inebriated Antics Squad“. What’s that all about?
Elle Chyun: It’s basically this: pictures from nights (sometimes days) in the presence of alcohol.

Ploomy: Being a dancer yourself, is it important that you date guys that know their way around the dance floor?
Elle Chyun: The worse they are, the better. Straight men who know how to dance terrify me.Ploomy: What’s the most important thing you look for in a guy?
Elle Chyun: They’ve got to be manly enough to let me boss them around sometimes.

Ploomy: Is it true that dance moves transfer into the bedroom like people say?
Elle Chyun: Sure. I do a mean one legged jig to get my socks off.

Ploomy: You take awesome photos. How does it feel to know that some of them are being used by the likes of The Wall Street Journal, and of course Ploomy.com? [Hahaha Yes, we did mention both in the same breath.]
Elle Chyun: You know I didn’t know about the Wall Street Journal until this interview? I don’t think I deserve the kind of credit I get, since there are so many talented photographers around.

Ploomy: Aside from the dancing, photography and blogging, what else do you do in your spare time?
Elle Chyun: I read, jam out to the Strokes, and watch movies that Gael Garcia Bernal is in. I like napping to golf. These are basically the only things that I can manage to fit into my schedule these days.

Ploomy: On your flickr, it looks you’ve done quite a bit of traveling. What’s your next destination?
Elle: Seattle, Washington. Or San Francisco, if you guys want to invite me there.

Ploomy: You seem very driven, can you name one thing you want to accomplish before turning 30.
Elle Chyun: I want to write a book. Can I name two? I want to be a bridesmaid in a wedding too.

Ploomy: If you could pick one super power to have, what would it be and why?
Elle Chyun: I’d have the ability to make all vegetarians crave beef. I don’t really know why I want that power, but I imagine it has something to do with my great love of steak.

Ploomy: What’s something about you, that most people don’t know?
Elle Chyun: I hate using change when paying for things. This includes both coins and one dollar bills.

Ploomy: What are you doing this Friday night? No, seriously–our readers want to know what’s a typical Friday night like for you.
Elle Chyun: Nothing about Fridays are typical for me, sometimes I work, sometimes I go out, sometimes I won’t do anything at all. This Friday night I’m going to a dance rehearsal. Why, what are you doing?

Want more Elle Chyun?

Be sure to check out her blog and flickr sites.

Editor’s Note: Please help us find the next Ploomy Girl. You can nominate a friend, girlfriend, or just someone you found across the Internet. Send all submissions to the editor at anthem123@yahoo.com.