Get to Know Shen Xiaoting – “Girls Planet 999″‘s Current 1st Place Contestant
With Girls Planet 999‘s finale just weeks away, one contestant has been holding onto her top spot for weeks since the show began: Shen Xiaoting. Climbing to no.1 in the Top 9 during the last elimination round and ranking first in C-Group since day one, Shen Xiaoting also has an interesting history from long before her aspiring idol days. Here’s her full story, from ballroom dancer to possible K-Pop star.
21-year-old Shen Xiaoting was born on November 12, 1999, in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, China. The city’s surrounding plains are known across the nation as the “Country of Heaven,” which may explain why Xiaoting was born so angelic.
Shen Xiaoting is known as a triple-threat on Girls Planet 999, with skills in singing, rapping, and dancing. The latter skill, however, is definitely one of her standout qualities—and it may stem from her extensive past in ballroom dancing.
While it’s not known exactly when Xiaoting began learning ballroom dancing, she’s been winning awards in competitions since at least her early teen years. At the 2013 CBDF China Cup Tour Finals, when Shen Xiaoting was just 14 years old, she won fourth place in group modern dance.
By 2014, she went on to win first place in a Shanghai ballroom tournament championship at the age of 15.
From then on, Xiaoting’s dancing endeavors took her around the world. She even traveled to Britain, where she competed in the British Rising Star Amateur Ballroom competition—part of the world’s most famous ballroom dance contest, the Blackpool Dance Festival.
Over the years, Shen Xiaoting racked up numerous medals, trophies, and accolades for her incredible skill in ballroom dancing, with some reporting that she’s placed in over 50 domestic and international competitions. With light and airy steps, elegant and flowing moves, and impeccable grace and elegance, there’s no doubt this young starlet has a true aptitude for dance.
Xiaoting soon went on to hone her skills even further when she was accepted to the Performance Department at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, a well-known Chinese university with alumni including famous actors, singers, violinists, and more.
But the ballroom wasn’t the only place Xioating wanted to put all that talent to use. By the end of her teen years, Shen Xiaoting had decided to try her hand at becoming an idol. Under TOP CLASS Entertainment, the aspiring star joined the ranks of China’s Produce Camp 2020 last year.
Shen Xiaoting got off to a promising start on the show when she ranked no.64 out of 101 contestants in episode two. Sadly, however, her rank fell to no.87 by the third episode, and in episode four, she was eliminated in 80th place.
While failing to make it into BonBon Girls 303 can’t have been easy for Xiaoting, she stayed strong and didn’t give up her dream. Instead, she set her sights on the K-Pop industry instead. After being spotted traveling to South Korea earlier this year, Shen Xiaoting was soon revealed as one of the C-Group contestants for Girls Planet 999.
As viewers may know, it was here that Shen Xiaoting’s talents finally started getting the attention they deserve. From the very first episode, she was ranked no.1 in C-Group through the judges’ Signal Song Evaluation.
Remarkably, since that point, her C01 ranking has never slipped. Following the Connect Mission, where she performed BLACKPINK‘s “How You Like That,” Shen Xiaoting was ranked first in C-Group and second overall. Not only did her team win the mission, she also received the song’s killing part, earning her over 440,000 views on her individual fancam to date.
Then, her team won the Combination Mission with their rendition of Lee Sun Hee‘s “Fate”—this time, with Xiaoting herself as the leader. In just three weeks, her highlight cam for the performance has racked up 475,000 views on YouTube.
On top of wowing the viewers, her incredible prowess was enough to push her up to no.1 in the show’s Top 9 after the second elimination round. Most recently, in the Creation Mission, Shen Xiaoting went on to prove she definitely deserves her spot. With the next elimination round fast approaching, fans are convinced she’s likely to hold her place—or, at the very least, remain in the top three. In just hours, her “Snake” fancam is fast approaching 200,000 views.
According to her personality type, ISFJ, Xiaoting is warm, understanding, and boasts great “people skills”—something she’s definitely proved throughout her time on the show so far. Considering her charming point to be her personality, Shen Xiaoting is a self-confessed perfectionist who is very strict with herself while working and studying.
Her hobbies include watching movies and dramas, taking photos, playing games, cooking, reading, and visiting restaurants and shops. On a relatable note, she also loves to sleep in and watch TV while lying on her couch.
All in all, her skills and charms have made it almost impossible for fans not to fall in love with her over the course of the show. Now, viewers can only hope she holds her place in the Top 9 long enough to debut in Mnet‘s new girl group. Girls Planet 999‘s next elimination round airs next Friday at 8:20 p.m. KST.
