Stephanie, a member of the South Korean girl group CSJH The Grace, candidly shared her initial shock upon hearing her stage name for the first time.
Stephanie, along with fellow CSJH members Sunday and Lina, appeared as guests and opened up about their feelings regarding their stage names. Sunday, known as 'Jiseong Sunday,' revealed, "I'm actually combination skin, but people kept asking if I was oily, which was a bit stressful." She clarified, "It actually meant a soft and wise voice."
Stephanie, who was given the stage name 'Cheonmu Stephanie,' humorously recalled, "I cried," adding, "'Cheonmu' means 'dance of the heavens,' but I found the name shocking. It was too long and awkward."
Stephanie further explained, "I was so shocked that I told my teacher, 'I can't do this.' Although Kim Jaejoong said it was a cool name, I thought it was too old-fashioned. But they really liked it."
She continued, "They said it combined Eastern and Western elements. I couldn't understand it, but I expressed my feelings and cried a lot afterward. I thought, 'Does Cheonmu Stephanie even make sense?' Although it helped me become known for my dancing on shows like X-Man, the 'Cheonmu' image was so strong that it took me about 10 years to grow as a vocal artist."
Stephanie admitted, "I couldn't change the title of my name, so I decided to give it my all." Sunday emphasized, "Honestly, aren't you still the only one performing as an active ballerina?" Stephanie replied, "I have to reach the top in both areas. It's one of my goals, so I can't quit." She then asked Kim Jaejoong about his stage name 'Hero Jaejoong,' to which he also admitted feeling embarrassed.
By Chaeryeong Lim, TenAsia Reporter syjj426@tenasia.co.kr