Just here enjoying life. Love to laugh… a lot of the times, at myself being silly with my little brother playing Roblox together!
Been there done that with lesson after lessons of viola, piano, ice staking, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, art classes, swimming and more… but I found my passion in Korean traditional dance and traveling.
I started Korean dance at the age of 5. My mom loved it because I got to learn dance and Korean at the same time. She got 2 different lessons for the price of one!
My love for traveling started when I was 10 when our mom took us to Europe on a backpacking trip for a month. I literally had to carry my own backpack with my stuff. I couldn't complain because my 6-year-old brother carried his own backpack as well. Then it was all the road trips, Montreal, Key West and more. We hopped islands in Hawaii. Oh, the places we went! Dr. Seuss was so right!
My mom was hooked on the TV show 'Heroes' while being pregnant with me in 2006. Her favorite character was Claire played by Hayden Panattiere. Her character's dad called her Claire Bear and my mom knew she was going to name me Claire. The name Claire also comes from Clara, which is my grandmother's Catholic name. My mom had a plan. Although at one point, her coworkers suggested naming me Jaqueline so I could be Jackie Oh. Ha! Pretty famous name there! She contemplated for few days but decided Claire was it!
Mom couldn't decide on a Korean name so I was born without one. But there was a problem. My grandma, who doesn't speak English couldn't pronounce Claire. So she just called me 'baby' and demanded that my mom give me a Korean name.
My mom struggled and couldn't find that perfect name until she remembered her friend who had a daughter that was about 8 years old at the time named Eunbee. My mom remembered loving the name and decided to name me after her. So I was finally given a Korean name, Eunbi with an 'i' and my birth certificate was finalized. By the way, the girl I was named after happens to be a graphics design teacher at my school. Miss Kim, Eunbee Kim! We clicked right away because we shared the same Korean names. Only to find out just recently that she's the one who I was named after! Crazy coincidence!
Anyway, during one of my baby check-up visit to the doctor's office, the receptionist noticed something about my name. She yelled, "Oh...Mrs. Oh, you are so clever! Claire's initials are CEO!" What?
Mom just realized she had given me the most powerful initials one can ever have, C.E.O., all by chance! Claire from her favorite show, Eunbi from her friend's daughter's name, and she married a guy with the last name Oh. It was like science. Trial, research and luck! The final result was something so unexpected but couldn't be more perfect!
A bit of science...sort of, you can say! 😁
In iOS, video will only play in picture in picture or full screen mode.
My journey with the Chicago Korean Dance Company (CKDC) began back in 2012, and it's been a transformative experience that has shaped me in ways I never anticipated. Growing up, I was often one of the few Asian Kids around, surrounded predominantly by white peers. For much of my childhood, I didn't fully understand what my cultural background meant or how it fit into the world around me.
That changed when I joined CKDC. At first, it was simply a passion I was pursuing, something I enjoyed doing like performing on stage, having my makeup done. But over the years, something deeper began to take root within me. As I immersed myself in to dance, I started to realize the profound impact it had on my sense of identity. Dancing became a way to connect with my heritage, something I had never fully appreciated before. Through each movement, I felt like I was reclaiming a piece of my culture that had been distant for so long.
What's even more powerful is that this dance has allowed me to share that culture with others. By performing, I'm not just showcasing a traditional art form; I'm telling a story, sharing the beauty and richness of my heritage with people who might not otherwise have been exposed to it. In 2022, I traveled to Honduras in a life changing experience and opportunity that I might not be able to have again in the future. Although practices were brutal, seeing the faces of everyone watching our performance made me realize how much us dancers can connect with people.
In the end, this dance wasn't about just movement; it's about identity, connection, and spreading and sharing a piece of my culture with the world.
I have had the privilege to participate in the Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade every year. This experience has given me the opportunity to share the beauty of Korean dance during one of the biggest holidays celebrated.
Grand performances are held every two years delivering both traditional and modern interpretations of Korean dance.
These performances include story telling pieces such as, "Cinderella", "Snow White and the seven dwarfs", "Two Brothers and the Magic Gourd" and other special events such as TaeKwonDo tournament and cultural events. I have had the opportunity to perform in Ohio, Purdue University, St. Louis and New York. And in August of 2022, I have had the honor to perform in Honduras for the Korea-Honduras 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations, sponsored by the Republic of Korea.
The mission of the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago (KCCoC) is to promote and organize Korean cultural, arts, educational, and social activities. KCCoC aims to establish a venue where all Korean Americans and other groups can participate in programs and events that celebrate Korean culture and heritage. KCCoC strongly encourages cross-cultural understanding that can embrace and empower all people to coexist peacefully.
I started volunteering at the cultural center as an eighth grader cleaning and organizing and realized that the cultural center needed to have a program to house the next generation of youths. I and two of my friends established a youth volunteer program, now known as the Junior Ambassador of Korean Cultural Center of Chicago. As the vice-president, I had the privilege of contributing to projects that celebrated and preserve Korean culture.
2019–Present
Founding Member
Current Position: Vice President
Founding member of the Junior Ambassador, youth leadership volunteer program at the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago—volunteering every Saturday since 2019. Since its inception, have diligently and proactively worked to spread and promote K-culture and K-experience to the community taking on various roles at events and activities.
Helped during renovation (2022–2024) and re-opening of KCCoC main building, museum, gallery and BISCO at KCCoC (Main building renovation completion 2023, BISCO Hall completion 2024)
Responsibilities
2024
2023
2022
2021
The Chicago Korean Dance Company (CKDC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to introduce Korean performing arts to the Korean-American community and to mainstream America.
The CKDC Youth Group was established in 2010 and I have been part of the youth group since 2012. CKDC serves as an ambassador of Korean culture through traditional Korean dance.
2012–present
Current Position: Vice President
Spreading and sharing culture through the art of Korean traditional dance to Korean-American communities, mainstream America and other countries.
As Vice-President of the high school dance group, executed duties as the leader ensuring each members' responsibilities are on task, helping with those in need of extra lesson, online promotion and marketing of the dance team. Selected as a member of the stage set and costume team for the biennial performance volunteering extra time outside of performances to create stage props and costumes.
Through the art of dance, educating others on Korean culture by performing at special event, Thanksgiving parade, state fairs, cultural festivals, museums, memorial and libraries, creating an environment of awareness and appreciation throughout within local communities, Chicagoland area, the Midwest and overseas reaching over 500,000 people in-person and on-line.
Notable Performances
2024
2023
2022
2021
Another passion of mine. Love to participate in performances as well as attending concerts!
Spreading K-culture through K-Pop dance with performances and workshop.
It has been a privilege to be part of a community where I was able to take on different roles. These roles provided an opportunity for leadership in communication, organization, persistence and perseverance to get things done. These experiences are more than just a recognition but something greater than what I could have ever imagined. It has been the solid foundation to who I am and what I can do to make my journey more fulfilling.
