Ip's shakin' that thing

Being the eldest daughter of Ampornpim Watcharapai, a prominent businesswoman in the cosmetics trade, ensured that Yupapak "Ip" Watcharapai would be spend a lot of time as a socialite. But she used her two business degrees to make her own name in the workforce, and since then she's been heeding a different drummer.

A singer and dancer, she has in fact become addicted to the stage.

"No one else in my family is an artist, but I love dancing, and I want to be a great entertainer," says Ip, whose self-titled debut album was released earlier this year.

Meanwhile she's given folks some new dance steps - street dances she learned in Japan and South Korea. The so-called "Body Beat" - dance with specific body parts following music beats - lets women push their curves to maximum potential.

"When I was young I didn't think about becoming a performer, certainly not a dancer," Ip says. "I learned ballet and jazz dance but stopped for almost 10 years. I like copying famous singers and dancers like Britney Spears, Beyonce and Madonna, though, and then four years ago I fell back into it again. The girl hip-hop dance is really fun."

Ip's education and her business background have proved beneficial. When she realised that many of the hi-so events she was attending with her mother were sharing the same stale rut - with a fashion show at best to break the humdrum - she decided to form her own entertainment outfit to perform at such gatherings.

With Premjit Amnankamanee's D-Dance Troupe, she made Ip & D-Dance Troupe available for social get-togethers, and its varied shows ensure that all the guests have something to applaud. There's even belly dancing mingled in with the disco and tango.

Social soirees can draw a diverse crowd, Ip knew, so she's ready with a multitude of dance forms depending on the crowd's mood - sporty and energetic, graceful and arty, sometimes very sexy.

Meanwhile there is a lot more to explore in show business, and Ip is also moderating a television show. She's actively seeking out new challenges.

"I like to be onstage, performing and making other people happy," she says, adding that the dance troupe will soon be appearing in nightclubs as well.

The Nation