Unconventional Path, Unyielding Passion

Leonard Heng shares his transformative journey of finding his passion in a rather unconventional venture: exotic dancing.

Written by: Sarah Hannah Charles

Photos courtesy of: Leonard Heng

What was seemingly a six-year-old's innocent mannerisms to mimic his sister's dance routine, had cast in stone Leonard Heng's lifelong passion – dance. From ballet, contemporary, jazz, street dance and more, his passion knew no bounds. So, when it led him to a rather unconventional route, it did not deter his spirit.

Known as Leo for short, he was 18 when his schoolmate first invited him to perform at an exotic dancing gig. Just a teenager looking for a way to earn some cash for some cigarettes, Leo did not give much consideration before performing his first gig.

"At that time, I was like, this is not bad, this is cool," he recalls.

It was during his second encounter that Leo formed a more formidable perception. He decided to participate in a beauty pageant which required its contestants to perform a public strip segment. This experience ultimately opened Leo’s eyes and heart to the unconventional dance form. 

“At the time, I was like, ‘Oh ok, you can do this in Singapore, it’s not illegal.’”

When Passion Wanes

However, there was a time when his love for dance came to a sudden halt. "I had like a cold war with dance. In a way, I just felt that I burnt myself out. I thought that I hated dancing," Leo expresses. His waning interest prompted him to embark on a four-year-long exploration journey of his other interests.

Harbouring an interest in fitness, he started as a personal trainer and bounced around odd jobs. Despite broadening his perspective beyond dance, he felt a sense of misplacement. "I was alright at it but I just knew that in my heart, I was missing something."

When Life Takes Over

Before Leo could figure out that missing puzzle piece, he was faced with a life-altering change. In 2020, his daughter, Bailey, was born and a year later, he was freshly divorced. Suddenly a single father, Leo found himself cruising along in a job he did not enjoy to provide for his daughter.

Leo with his daughter, Bailey

"At that time I had dropped into a very bad spell with alcoholism and food. I was overweight at 90 kilos and my skin actually exploded… I was just isolating myself and I wasn't at my best," he recalls vividly.

Turns out, life has a funny way of working itself out as Leo received an unexpected invitation back to the world of dance.

Treading a 'New' Path

He was invited to perform in Gentlemen's Latte, an exotic dance crew.

"They were like, 'Ok Leo, they want to specifically hire you to get on stage. Can you do it?', but at that time, I only had 10 days to get a six-pack,” he says with a chuckle in disbelief at the memory.

Instead of losing hope, Leo took this chance to push himself to achieve the impossible.
Not only did he wind up successful, he also learnt a valuable lesson from this experience. 

"I can only love others and serve others when I serve myself first - but not from a place of selfishness - but from a place of: 'I need to keep growing to improve myself and then by proxy anyone that is around me will feel that and want that for themselves as well.’ "

With that in mind, Leo landed more shows and his fervour for the dance grew. It grew so abundantly that he outgrew his role in Gentlemen's Latte. "It wasn't just about entertainment anymore. It's more about helping people find confidence through dancing," Leo explains.

Shifting Views

It was in 2021, when Queen of Hearts, another exotic dance crew, was looking to revamp their business with Leo as their new choreographer. There, he was able to fulfil the vision he had for exotic dance by renewing Queen of Hearts’ mission. Its focus transitioned from the spectacle of 'a bunch of topless guys' to establishing a safe space where women and interested individuals can find empowerment through workshops and courses.

Queen of Hearts dancers

Currently, at 28, Leo is the Creative Director of Queen of Hearts and a jack-of-all-trades – conceptualising choreographies, creating social media content and communicating with overseas clients for potential shows. 

While it was not a smooth sailing journey for Leo to get to where he is today, he lives with no regrets. "The best part of my life now is the times I chose to be brave with my passion and believe that my passion will influence and inspire others to try."