How much do dance moms pay for lessons
Here's How Much It Really Cost To Enroll In The Abby Lee Dance Company
Shutterstock
By Shana Aborn/May 10, 2021 10:28 am UTC
For nearly 10 years, "Dance Moms" reigned as one of the queens of the reality TV world. The Lifetime series had it all: jaw-dropping performances by talented tweens and teens hoping to become professional dancers; behind-the-scenes drama between the mothers; and, of course, the real star of the show, Abby Lee Miller. The studio owner/lead dance coach was part drill sergeant, part fairy godmother; with one word, she could either bestow a coveted solo performance or remove a girl from a big team number.
Miller's Pittsburgh studio, the Abby Lee Dance Company, became so successful that she opened a second branch in L.A. (via Entertainment Weekly). Over the years, the studio has taught dancers who have gone on to careers in professional companies, in casts of shows on- and off-Broadway, and in Disney parks worldwide, according to the studio's website. Its most famous alumni include Maddie Ziegler, Chloe Lukasiak, and JoJo Siwa, who all came to prominence courtesy of "Dance Moms."
The show skidded to a sudden halt in 2017 after Miller was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and spent a year in federal prison. She was set to launch a spinoff called "Abby's Virtual Dance Off" when a former cast member came forward to accuse her of making racist comments toward her daughter. The network promptly canceled the production of the new show (via USA Today).
While the future of "Dance Moms" is still in doubt, the studio itself is still very much alive. Aspiring performers are welcome — but you'll need to bring your checkbook.
Kevin Mazur/fox/Getty Images
Via the studio's official website, both locations are currently open and registering for the fall semester. In keeping with COVID-19 precautions, the studio has established protocols, including keeping students 6 feet apart and requiring masks in the building except during lessons.
The Abby Lee Dance Company's tuition is based on the number of studio hours a student takes per week. According to the company's tuition chart, the first 45-minute class costs $50; after that, the fees range from $62 weekly for a 1.25-hour schedule up to $284 for 14 hours. Students can also "drop in" on a class for $30 to see if it's a good fit for them, or take private lessons that range from $35-60, depending on length and whether the student is a registered member. The company last updated their rates in 2016; the fees may have gone up since then.
Truly serious dancers can expect to pay more than average students. Members of the competition team have to attend two to three classes weekly, plus weekend practices. They also study a variety of techniques, including ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, acro/gym, and intensive study of jumps, turns, and leg/feet movement — and, of course, there are the local and national competitions.
You don't have to have a budding JoJo Siwa to enroll your child in ALDC, however. The company site says, "We realize that not every child has the drive, determination or natural talent to become a professional dancer. However, we believe that every child deserves the chance to try!"
Recommended
How much do the Dance Moms moms get paid?
- 2021-12-09
- 350
Índice
- How much do the Dance Moms moms get paid?
- Who is the richest mom on Dance Moms?
- Is Dance Moms real or scripted?
- Who is Maddie Ziegler dating 2020?
- Who is richer JoJo or Maddie?
- Do any of the Dance Moms still talk to Abby?
- How much does it cost to dance for Abby Lee?
- Why is JoJo Siwa so popular?
- How much does the cast of Dance Moms get Paid?
- How much does Nia get paid per episode of Dance Moms?
- Who is the richest person on Dance Moms?
- How much is Maddie from Dance Moms worth?
How much do the Dance Moms moms get paid?
The infamous coach of “Dance Moms“, Abby Lee Miller, shed some light on how much she and her young dance protogees got paid for appearing on the show. Us Weekly reports that in 2015, Miller revealed that the dancers earned $1,000 an episode for the first four seasons and $2,000 an episode during season five.
Who is the richest mom on Dance Moms?
1 JoJo Siwa – Net Worth $14 Million The richest member of Dance Moms is JoJo Siwa.
Is Dance Moms real or scripted?
1 The Drama Was Mostly Staged With any reality television series, the drama isn't totally "reality." Dance Moms didn't have a script, but situations were set up.
Who is Maddie Ziegler dating 2020?
Too sweet! Maddie Ziegler and her boyfriend, Eddie Benjamin, may be teenagers, but their sweetest photos together prove young love is real. The couple, who began dating in 2019, took their romance public in March 2020.
Who is richer JoJo or Maddie?
Celeb Net Worth estimates Maddie's net worth to be $5 million and growing. That's higher than Abby Lee Miller's net worth, but not quite as high as former co-star Jojo Siwa's net worth of $12 million. If she keeps at her current pace, Maddie could be worth even more before she's 20.
Do any of the Dance Moms still talk to Abby?
"I actually talk to Abby the most out of anybody from the show," she told Us Weekly in May 2020. ... I think Abby got hurt by a lot of people and it's really, really, really sad that a lot of the people don't talk to her anymore. The same thing with a lot of the producers from Dance Moms.
How much does it cost to dance for Abby Lee?
The Abby Lee Dance Company's tuition is based on the number of studio hours a student takes per week. According to the company's tuition chart, the first 45-minute class costs $50; after that, the fees range from $62 weekly for a 1.25-hour schedule up to $284 for 14 hours.
Why is JoJo Siwa so popular?
She is known for appearing for two seasons on Dance Moms along with her mother, Jessalynn Siwa, and for her singles "Boomerang" and "Kid in a Candy Store". Siwa posts daily videos of her day-to-day life on her YouTube channel, "Its JoJo Siwa".
How much does the cast of Dance Moms get Paid?
- All the girls who participated in Dance Moms show had interests in different ventures, which earned them a great fortune. How much do Dance Moms cast get paid? During the first four seasons of the show, each cast member earned roughly 1,000 US dollar per episode.
How much does Nia get paid per episode of Dance Moms?
- Of course, the show surely contributed to Nia's wealth, as well, since she was one of the longtime original cast members. According to Screen Rant, it's likely that Nia made about $1,000 to $2,000 per episode of Dance Moms, which definitely could add up.
Who is the richest person on Dance Moms?
- She is probably the wealthiest among the Dance Moms cast members with a net worth of approximately 14 million US dollars. Is Maddie Ziegler rich? Maddie has had regular appearances on multiple music videos for Sia.
How much is Maddie from Dance Moms worth?
- According to Celebrity Net Worth, the starlet is estimated to be worth $5 million. However, Maddie has more than her time on Dance Moms and her relationship with Sia to thank for her wealth.
⇐ Do they drink real whiskey in Peaky Blinders?
Does teiichi end up with yuuko? ⇒
Postagens relacionadas:
90,000 Sports of wealthy parents. How much does figure skating actually costRoll-ups, transfers and envelopes. SBC study
Business outsiders
In figure skating, you don't find sentimental stories about a kid from the slums who was noticed by a coach who raised him to be a super champion. Although this happens in football, boxing and even hockey.
In many sports, it makes economic sense to invest in a talented child. Specialized schools and sports boarding schools are being created, where talents from different regions are brought together. Often such projects become good business. The most successful kids grow up to be stars and bring investors a profit from selling to a rich club or a share of royalties.
In figure skating, the parents are the investors, and they are driven by anything but commercial gain. After all, it is impossible to recapture the huge costs of training an athlete in 99.99%.
The list of 100 highest paid athletes in the world according to Forbes in 2018 included representatives of 11 sports, exclusively men. The leader is boxer Floyd Mayweather with a net worth of $285 million. And tennis players dominate the Top 10 richest female athletes compiled by Business Insider. There are no skaters on these lists and never have been.
According to TSM Sportz, Vancouver Olympic champion Kim Yoo-na earned the most in figure skating with $32 million in her career. Russian Evgeni Plushenko's total income is estimated at $20 million, less than what athletes at the bottom of the Forbes list make in a year.
And yet, every year, tens of thousands of mothers in different countries take very young girls and boys to the skating rink, hoping in the depths of their souls that new champions will grow out of their children. Many of them do not realize that, in addition to the soul, a lot of money will have to be invested in a small athlete.
US count
Time magazine estimated the cost of a child skater at $35,000-50,000 a year. Figure skating in the US, like other sports, is given over to private business and, therefore, is transparent in terms of prices.
Coach services cost $65-120 per hour. Everyone pays for them: both beginners and recognized masters. The skater also pays for ice - $ 20-40 per day. For staging each program, you need to pay the choreographer from $ 1.5 thousand to $ 5 thousand. It is necessary to take into account the cost of tailoring a costume (from $ 1.5 thousand to infinity), skates (from $ 1.5 thousand, it is better to have two pairs for the season) , lessons in ballroom dancing, acrobatics and even acting. Parents also pay for summer training fees, medical expenses, etc.
As a result, according to the Times, only 5% of professional skaters in the United States can cover their costs through prize money, advertisers, etc. generations.
Shade costs
It is not easy to estimate the expenses of parents for the training of high-level figure skaters in Russia. If you look at the websites of budget sports schools (they are the main ones for the national team), you may get the feeling that the state takes on most of the costs. But this is an illusion. All parents pay. And they pay a lot.
In preparing this report, SBC spoke to 10 parents of young skaters. In half of the cases, their children are included in the national teams of Russia of different ages. Our interlocutors asked not to mention names, because many expenses in Russian figure skating are in the “gray zone”, and conflicts with eminent coaches built into this system can damage a sports career.
There are also paid private figure skating schools in Russia. But, for example, this season in the Russian national teams they are represented by only one figure skater. This is Anastasia Tarakanova, who moved to Plushenko's Angels from the state Sambo 70, where she was a member of the famous group of Eteri Tutberidze. At the beginning of 2017, when the Plushenko Academy was just starting to work, the published price list caused heated discussions. Depending on the intensity of the program, classes at the school cost from ₽60,000 to ₽150,000 per month. “We have indicated the real prices available in figure skating. Only we work openly - in white, we pay all taxes. And in public schools, where classes are supposedly free, they take the same money from parents, but in envelopes. And everyone is happy with everything” , - producer and wife of Evgeny Plushenko Yana Rudkovskaya told SBC. Conversations with parents of young figure skaters who train in state centers confirm her words.
“The current situation is a product of the collapse of the Soviet training system, - considers the silver medalist of the Olympics in Salt Lake City Ilya Averbukh . – The government trains the most talented athletes, but there is a lot of commerce around them. Parents, in order for their child to progress, take additional classes, the so-called rolling, - this costs from ₽2.5 thousand to ₽5 thousand per hour, depending on the status of the coach, there are many other expenses ”.
Absence of team level athletes in commercial centers Averbukh connects with the fact that a coach from a private school is not so much interested in the result as a guarantee that the child will not quit classes. “If a student is heavily loaded, makes high demands on him, he can be capricious and refuse to train. And that's a waste of money. In public schools, on the contrary, teacher awards are tied to sports results” , explains Averbukh.
Income items
Once in the national team, the skater can receive prize money, but these are modest amounts compared to the same tennis. Juniors get $6,000 for a victory in the Grand Prix, $18,000 for adults. At the same time, the parents of the skaters talk about the existence of an unspoken rule, according to which 30-50% of the prize money must be given to the coach.
It turns out that, having won almost all starts, Alina Zagitova in the 2017/18 season, excluding the Olympic prize, received $ 69 thousand in prize money. According to Ilya Averbukh, 15 years ago, victories were valued higher, and he earned about $120,000 per season.
Members of the Russian national team are also entitled to a scholarship consisting of money from the main sponsor of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, Rostelecom, and a presidential grant: ₽100,000 per month for juniors and ₽200,000 for adults.
Expensive centralization
Parents of young figure skaters say that the coaches of state schools in various ways persuade them to think about the need for rolling. “It happens everywhere: in Moscow and in the provinces, ,” says the mother of the skater of the Russian national team. – You bring the child to the SDUSHOR. There he is taught to skate and do simple elements in a group of 20 people. Then the coach says that he sees potential in the child, but you need to take tricks, and he or she will suggest a good specialist. You can refuse, but at the very first competition it turns out that the first place is given not to the one who looked better, but to the one who took the tackle from the “necessary” coach. In the provinces, an hour of such classes costs ₽1.5 thousand, in Moscow - from ₽2-3 thousand, if we are not talking about top coaches. Plus, you have to pay extra for ice – ₽800–1000 per hour” .
Another feature of the Russian team is the absence of provincial athletes. All represent Moscow, St. Petersburg and, in the last couple of years, Sochi, where the group of Nina Moser and Maxim Trankov trains in the Olympic Park. For parents from other cities, this means additional costs.
“It is clear that it is unrealistic to achieve results while remaining in the provinces. At some stage, you have to make a decision to move to Moscow or St. Petersburg, - says the father of another member of the team. - Accordingly, it is necessary to rent an apartment closer to the skating rink, where the child will work out, move on his own or send grandparents. Only tackling a child of 8–9 years old with a non-top coach cost us about ₽100,000 per month. Plus, renting an apartment, additional classes in choreography, dancing, physical training ... In total, a month of figure skating lessons costs about ₽200,000.” .
32 thousand people are engaged in figure skating in Russian specialized training centers
Source: Russian Ministry of Sports
Progressive scale
Even when a child's sporting prospects are unclear, preparation costs are high. Parents buy skates - their price is about $1,000. There are cheaper options, but these are either second-hand or low-quality models. Parents also order costumes in the atelier - a simple option costs about ₽30 thousand. A separate expense item is the production of the program. In one season, a skater needs two of them - short and free. The stars have another indicative. Each costs ₽100-150 thousand, although top coaches put them for free.
Camps are organized for children in summer. A popular venue is Bulgaria. The price includes flights, hotel accommodation, payment for ice and training - only about ₽150 thousand for two weeks.
With the transition to the highest level and to the top coach, the costs of parents do not decrease.
“You get into such groups through a network of acquaintances. In the world of figure skating, everyone knows each other, - says one of the interlocutors of the SBC. – In our case, our trainer called the trainer from the leading school and said: “There is a promising girl, look at her” .
The websites of the leading public schools say that classes are free, but parents pay unofficially, in envelopes, from ₽10 thousand per month, with a top coach - ₽30 thousand. or documents were confirmed to us by three interlocutors. Given that there are 20–25 children of different ages in a group, the “bonus” of a trainer can reach up to ₽600–750 thousand.
Parents say that one can get into the top groups through connections. “It is enough to look at the line-up to see athletes of the same age, but of completely different levels. Someone works in the national team, and someone does not apply for anything, - the interlocutor of the SBC speaks. - Usually this is a child of very wealthy parents who want him to study with a world-famous coach, and are ready to pay for it ”.
Working pension
After the end of their professional career, skaters have more opportunities to earn money by moving to coaching or participating in theatrical ice shows. Ilya Averbukh proves this by staging and producing his own performances for 15 years. Without naming the exact amounts, Ilya claims that the fees for his artists for going on the ice are on average less than those of competitors (for example, Plushenko), but he can guarantee employment all year long, and not just for the New Year holidays. On average, his skaters have 200 shows a year.
"The world's most expensive now is Yuzuru Hanyu. As far as I know, his entry on the ice costs from €100 thousand and more, while under the contract he can only play in Japan, - says Averbukh. “The average bet of a champion from Europe is about €10,000. It’s expensive for us because of the exchange rates, we can’t afford these guys, although, for example, both Stephane Lambiel and Carolina Kostner are our great friends.”
Text: Denis Puzyrev , SBC
Images: Shutterstock
Material from the magazine "SBK. Sport Business Consulting» №4 (36) December 2018
Debts, bullying, hunger fainting.
How Korean kids are preparing to become K-pop stars
British Instagram blogger Evodias went through a rigorous selection process as a child and went to Korea to become a K-pop star - Korean pop music that is popular all over the world. She told the BBC what the life of future K-pop stars consists of and why she left this career.
K-pop - is a genre of music that originated in South Korea and combines elements of western electropop, hip hop, dance music, and contemporary R&B. At the beginning of the XXI century, K-pop has become a large-scale musical subculture with millions of fans, especially among teenagers. The stars of this genre are called "idols" in the country: they usually not only sing, but also act in films and on television and maintain popular blogs.
Becoming a K-pop star is not easy: it usually takes years of intense training and sometimes even plastic surgery . But that didn't stop Evodias who, while still a schoolgirl, left her home in northeast England and went to South Korea to become an "idol". BBC journalist Elayne Chong retells her story as she heard it from Evodias herself.
- Korean wave: how K-pop and dramas are taking over Kyrgyzstan
"At that time, K-pop was unknown in Britain. But I, half Chinese, half Korean, watched South Korean dramas such as "Boys Over Flowers and "Naughty Kiss" and fell in love with K-pop and culture in general. While my classmates were crazy about Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys, I listened to Wonder Girls and B2ST.
I had a burning desire to become an actress and perform. In South Korea, one way to do this is to become an "idol", someone who does everything: modeling, acting, singing and dancing... I thought K-pop was the way to my dream.0007
Image copyright Euodias
I've been auditioning for different companies since I was 10 years old. Often it was necessary to send a video of myself: sometimes I skipped school to record, which my mother was very angry about.
And one day when we went to visit my grandmother in Seoul, I went to the casting, which was attended by 2000 people.
We were all gathered in a huge waiting room. You might have seen something similar on Britain's Got Talent, but we didn't have chairs. We sat on the floor in rows of ten.
My turn came after six hours of waiting. My heart was beating very fast as we were called one by one.
Photo by Euodias
Skip the Podcast and continue reading.
Podcast
What was that?
We quickly, simply and clearly explain what happened, why it's important and what's next.
episodes
End of Story Podcast
When the first girl sang, the judge shouted "Stop! Next!" before she even started singing the chorus. The other girls were treated the same way.
When it was my turn, I gave a monologue from a Korean TV movie. The referee cut me off in the middle. "We are looking for those who sing," he said. - "Will you sing?" I didn't prepare a song, but I decided to try singing "A Whole New World" from Disney's Aladdin.
The judge interrupted me and asked me to dance. I was not ready for this either and felt like an idiot. They turned on the music and I improvised something. After conferring with the assistants, the judge gave me a piece of yellow paper. This meant that I passed to the next stage.
I was sent to a room where I was asked to walk along a line on the floor and my face was photographed from different angles to see how I would look in the frame. A few days later I was asked to come with my parents and discuss the contract.
According to the contract, I had to leave my family and move to South Korea to pursue a career in the company. The company could get rid of me at any time if they thought I wasn't good enough for them. But if I decide to leave my career on my own, I will have to pay the full cost of my education, which is thousands of dollars.
- The dark side of Korean show business
My mother reluctantly signed a two-year contract for me, which was the minimum they could offer. After that meeting, we quarreled, and my mother did not speak to me for a month.
Shortly after I became an apprentice, the company transferred my contract to another firm. Such movements are common, and no one asks for the opinion of the students.
My new company was harsh. I had to live in her building along with other students who were between the ages of nine and 16. Boys and girls lived separately.
We only left the building to go to school. Korean students went to local public schools, but because I was British, I went to an international one. Apart from school, we were not allowed to go anywhere without permission. But even when we asked permission, we were usually denied.
If parents wanted to visit their children, they had to get permission beforehand. Relatives who came without warning were not allowed.
image copyrightEuodias
Our usual day went like this: we got up at five in the morning and danced. School started at eight. After school they returned to the company and were engaged in singing and dancing. The students practiced until 11 pm and even later to impress the instructors.
At night we were on our own. We had a tight schedule and they made sure we were all there before locking the doors.
It was forbidden to go on dates, although some people secretly did go. All students were required to act as if they were heterosexual, even if they were not. Anyone who claimed to be gay was kicked out.
Both boys and girls had "managers" - older people who could text us at night to keep an eye on us. If we didn't answer right away, they called and asked where we were.
We didn't have weekends or holidays. On holidays such as the Lunar New Year, the students stayed in the company building while the workers took a break.
Photo by Euodias
The company divided us into two groups, something like Team A and Team B. I was one of 20 or 30 members of Team A - we were considered to have the strongest potential.
Team B had about 200 students. Some of them even paid tuition. They could have been preparing for years and not be sure that they would ever "debut" at all. "Debut" was the moment someone started performing in K-pop.
Team A girls lived four people in a room. Ordinary students slept together in a huge room on rugs - right on the floor.
I saw how tired students from Team B slept right in the dance studios after class - the mats there were still the same as in the hostel.
Only once did I see a student from Team B move to Team A. But if a member of Team A misbehaved or complained about something, they could be intimidated by being kicked out or transferred to Team B.
- Star kay Sulli's butt is found dead. She was bullied on social networks
However, usually no one complained. We were all young and ambitious. The company believed that everything we have to go through is part of the discipline training, and this is necessary for the future "idol". We agreed with everything.
We didn't use our own names in the company building, except when talking to other students. We had a number and a stage name, given in accordance with the image that was chosen for us.
I was given the name Dia. But our instructors usually referred to us by the numbers they saw on our shirts. It was wild, like we were participating in some kind of scientific experiment.
I knew that I had the makings of a successful "idol". The company liked me because I was small - the instructors constantly praised me for being petite. Don't get me wrong, I love to eat, but I have a high metabolism and don't gain weight.
And the weight was an eternal headache for everyone. Each student had to weigh no more than 47 kg, regardless of age and height. At the weekly weigh-in, we were examined by a coach and our weight was announced to the whole room.
If the weight exceeded the established norm, they reduced the diet. Sometimes those who were "overweight" were left without food at all, given only water.
It all seemed pretty cruel to me, because some of the girls couldn't help it - they were tall.
It was normal to starve yourself. Some had anorexia or bulimia, and many girls did not have their periods. Fainting was common. We often ourselves carried those who lost consciousness to the hostel.
- Another K-pop star found dead. Goo Hara didn't live to be 29 years old
I fainted twice in class, probably from dehydration, though maybe from malnutrition. I woke up in bed and couldn't remember how I got into it.
At some point, I realized that I had no friends there. They were all colleagues. The environment was too tense and competitive to make friends.
Monthly reviews supported the atmosphere of stress. Each student performed in front of everyone and received marks from the instructors. If the grades were low, the student was immediately kicked out.
Image copyright Euodias
The streams of newcomers came to replace them. Many of them came after plastic surgery and looked like K-pop stars.
Bullying was common among students. One girl was teased for being overweight. Another, who danced well, had her ballroom shoes stolen.
I missed my old friends back in England, but I couldn't get in touch with them as the instructors told us to hand over our phones so we could focus on class. The company wanted us to look more mysterious before debut and not post anything inappropriate on social media.
We could get our phones for 15 minutes in the evening and I used that time to call my mom. But many students secretly had second phones.
My parents knew that studying was hard, but they couldn't do anything because I was bound by a contract and they were very far away. Most of the Korean students didn't tell their parents because they didn't want them to worry.
It helped me to believe that one day I would debut as a member of a K-pop group. However, the company had seats for less than half of the members of the A-Team. We competed for them through constant examinations.
K-pop groups are usually structured like this: lead vocalist, dancer, rapper, youngest member, and so on. Everyone has a special role.
I was delighted when they first told me that they wanted to choose me as a vocalist. But then the company said that they see me in a different role - visual.
The visual is the face of the group. You are chosen for this role because of your appearance, and especially because of how you are likely to look in the future. Another girl competed for this place with me. She was more attractive than me, but the company thought that if I got plastic surgery, I would be prettier than her and could become a visual.
My face is too large for Korean standards, and they wanted to change my nasal septum and make my jaw smaller. The company could not force me to go for the operation, but it encouraged me in every possible way. Plastic surgery in South Korea is a common thing, and this prospect did not scare me. I looked at it as an investment in my future. The cost of the operation was to be added to my debt to the company.
My mother didn't like the idea. She understood that the operation brought me closer to the dream of becoming an "idol", but she was worried about me.
When the company announced that I had been chosen for the role of visual, I was happy. I was told that I would be a K-pop star. You can imagine what that meant to a teenager.
Then I learned more about my future image. Dia, which I would have to become, was supposed to be modest, sweet and innocent. As a visual, I had to become the embodiment of these qualities. But Dia was not me. I am sassy and loud. And I began to doubt whether I could be an obedient girl in public.
I thought that the game would be worth the candle if I became an actress as a result. But when I tried to talk to the company about it, the answer was, "No, we think you're more suitable for a girl group."
Someone in management told me that since I'm only half Korean, I only have second roles in my acting career. I felt that my dreams were crumbling.
My contract was just about to expire and needed to be renewed before starting the group. And I said I don't want to.
This was a rare case: most students go to great lengths to realize their dreams. But despite my refusal, I parted ways with the company kindly. I fulfilled my obligations under the contract and did not owe anything. If I had stayed and debuted with the group, I would have had to pay for instructors, housing, and plastic surgery. Even successful artists must keep working to pay off the debts that build up during training, as well as the new debts that form when a student becomes an "idol". In general, it is quite difficult for K-pop stars to earn something.
I returned to England with my friends without having the operation. I passed my final exams along with everyone else. Later I studied art and got a place at a fashion school in France. And I was lucky because a lot of K-pop students dropped out at 18 or graduated at 21 and didn't know what to do next. They gave everything for trying to become a K-pop star - and ended up with nothing.