Meet Brandon Querisma | Dancer & Leader of Amplify

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Querisma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’d never had an interest in performance until about my senior year of high school (around 2018/2019). I was convinced by a close friend to dance with them because another friend was unable to – it was sudden, and I was extremely nervous. But when I did it, it was the greatest feeling of my entire life. I’d never felt a greater sense of happiness.

I didn’t think I would love it so much.

And when I continued dancing, I loved it more every time. My only regret was that I hadn’t started doing it sooner. K-pop was a whole new world that I had been introduced to.

Of course, I wanted to become a K-pop idol. I still do. I audition for companies, attend live auditions, and watch out for online auditions. I know for a fact I would accept it in a heartbeat if I were given the chance to debut as an idol. But, at the time I got into K-pop, I didn’t realize I was the ideal age to be recruited. Being 24, almost 25, I felt that dream slipping through my fingers. So I grabbed it and held on tighter. With Amplify, it’s the closest I can get to achieving the dream I realized so late in my adolescence.

Amplify isn’t just a dance group. It’s a family that I forged with our bare hands. Our members have varying skill levels and dance experiences. All of us share a similar dream. Amplify’s motto is “Amplify Aspirations,” meaning Amplify wants to be like an amplifier for our members’ goals and dreams—to boost our hearts, our love, and our effort toward performance, the K-pop genre, and the community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Business-wise, I originally wanted just a dance group. Some friends dance together and enjoy themselves. But we grew into recognizable names. People approach me and say, “We love your performances. We’re excited to see Amplify perform.” And I realized that was when we were becoming more than just a group of friends dancing.

I was reached out to and had the chance to work with the City of Dallas on events, and I was able to pay my dancers. That first time I was able to give money to my dancers for their work, I was so awestruck. We were just dancing for free, devoting hours as if it were a job. Now, we’re getting professional calls to do more. Now, it’s becoming a job. I had to teach myself a lot. I had no formal dance training, teaching experience, or much leadership experience. Now, I have all these things.

But it wasn’t easy. It took trial and error—more than a few tries, some failures. We overcame our struggles by talking to one another. Not just about dance, but about our hearts—our struggles and dreams, our fears and goals—in a way that brings us all closer.

I want to tell the world. I may have missed my original goal, but that’s not where I’m stopping. It’s not over until I win. I’ll pursue the stages and performances I desired the moment I fell into this world. Amplify grows every day, pushing me to new heights.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many places I’d want to go! I’d want to visit Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie, basking in memories of past performances. Carrollton’s K-Town has some of the best food! I’ve been into District One lately. I also love walking around malls, so I’d want to go to the Galleria in Dallas, too! Most of my friends are college students who aren’t from the DFW, so they’ve never been. It’s my favorite thing to show them the mall from the top floor as they peek down to see the ice skating at the bottom.

Recently, I also ate at Aunt Irene’s Kitchen–a seafood & soul food place that my grandmother found when I was young. It’s still just as good as I remember!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my members of Amplify. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. We all work together, pushing ourselves so hard to deliver our best performances. The DFW K-pop dance community can come off as a bit intimidating and hard to navigate; most communities are, but they work so hard to do their utmost.

On a personal level, I’m inspired by K-pop idols who are my age and who dedicate themselves so wholeheartedly to their craft. When I get tired, I tell myself—if I were an idol, I’d be expected to do the same.

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwuLdWSpJMVxRqLYdmGyPLg

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