We were lucky to catch up with Yingqi Zhou recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Yingqi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I grew up surrounded by art. My father was passionate about creative writing and performance, and many of his close friends were artists as well. Because of that environment, the arts never felt distant to me. I started learning dance when I was three years old—not in a strictly professional way, but consistently and wholeheartedly, year after year.

As a child, I often performed comedic skits with my father, even winning national awards for them. But like many traditional Chinese parents, mine believed that pursuing art was too uncertain compared to a more “stable” career path. So while they supported my hobbies, they didn’t encourage me to choose it as my profession.

Still, I never let dance go. At every stage of my life—whether in school dance teams or in university competitions in Beijing—I found ways to keep performing. The turning point came when I moved to New York for graduate school. There, I met so many friends who shared my love for dance, and especially for K-pop. That inspired me to bring everyone together and create something bigger than ourselves, which became 404 Dance Crew.

That was when I truly knew I wanted to pursue the artistic path professionally. It was no longer just a personal passion—it became a way to build a community, share culture, and create meaningful projects with real impact.

Yingqi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In my previous answer, I shared a little bit about how I first began pursuing dance as a career. What truly pushed me forward were the friends I met who shared the same passion, and later the encouragement I received from the growing followers of 404’s YouTube channel. Their support motivated me to keep creating and to continuously improve the quality of our work.

Today, I not only create content with 404 but also teach classes in New York. I really enjoy the energy and attitude of dancers here—the passion and different perspectives they bring into the studio constantly inspire me to keep going. Besides teaching, I also take on performances, choreography projects, and opportunities to lead students on stage. Each experience is challenging but deeply rewarding.

There are two projects that made me especially proud because they showed that my work can bring something tangible to my team beyond just views or numbers. The first was when 404 was invited by YouTube to create a campaign reel for an apartment project. We designed, decorated, filmed, and performed it entirely ourselves. On top of that, it was connected to ROSÉ, an artist I truly admire, so being able to contribute to her promotion was incredibly meaningful to me.

The second was our collaboration with the K-pop girl group Cosmosy. It was the first time I physically performed side by side with K-pop artists, dancing their new song Lucky=One. Since K-pop idols usually debut very young, I had often felt that I was “too late” to enter that world. But that experience gave me so much validation—it reminded me that even if the path looks different, as long as you dream and work with sincerity, there will always be unique forms of success.

I’m proud of everything we’ve built with 404, but I also see how much more we can grow. One thing that makes us different is that all of our videos are publicly listed, even the early ones where our dancing wasn’t as polished. I want our fans to witness our growth with us. 404 isn’t just a cover dance crew—we aim to interpret each piece with our own understanding and passion, to add our voice to the original artist’s work. My hope is that when people watch our videos, they can feel three or four minutes of pure joy in their busy day, and also believe in the power of dreams and hard work.

How did you build your audience on social media?

One of the first times our channel reached a wider audience was when we filmed a dance cover in Times Square. During that shoot, I unfortunately experienced harassment from a passerby, and the incident was reported publicly. It was a very unpleasant experience, but paradoxically it also brought unexpected visibility to our work.

That moment taught me that while a single incident may attract attention, what truly builds and sustains an audience is consistency and authenticity. For us, the real growth came from posting regularly, constantly improving the quality of our videos, and staying engaged with our followers. Their encouragement has been what keeps us motivated to continue creating.

For anyone just starting to build a social media presence, my advice would be: don’t rely on going viral—focus on showing up consistently, interacting with your community, and protecting your own well-being. As dancers and creatives, our safety and passion must always come first, and when those are in place, the audience will naturally follow.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In my view, the best way society can support artists and creatives is by providing both accessible resources and genuine recognition. On a practical level, that means affordable spaces for rehearsals, exhibitions, and performances, as well as funding or grant opportunities that allow independent creators to focus on their craft without constant financial pressure.

Equally important is the cultural mindset: valuing creativity not as something “extra,” but as a vital part of community life. When schools, local governments, and institutions integrate art into education and public events, they send the message that creative work has meaning and deserves respect.

From my own experience with 404 Dance Crew in New York, I’ve seen how supportive environments—whether it’s a studio that welcomes young dancers or an online audience that encourages us to keep creating—can transform passion into a sustainable practice. A thriving ecosystem happens when artists are given room to grow, share, and inspire without fear of being overlooked or underappreciated.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: joy_yq
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@404dancecrew?si=bp3ngaO4xEYxmSJJ