PROJECTS

Dari de Draak (or Dari the Dragon) started as an idea for a children’s song for kids who practice taekwon-do. The sport is still relatively small in the Netherlands, and Elske saw a gap worth filling. As a kid, she was a big fan of Kinderen voor Kinderen, and that stuck with her — the idea of doing something similar, but built specifically around taekwon-do, came from there. The goal was a song that young taekwondo practitioners could actually see themselves in, something to sing along to and enjoy.

A mascot was developed to go with the song (Dari the Dragon / Dari de Draak) — a character meant to give the sport a bit more visibility and give kids something to connect with. There’s also a dance that goes with the track, so kids can dance along, practice their moves, and just have fun with it.

Elske also made a karaoke version of the song. She grew up singing along to Kinderen voor Kinderen karaoke tracks herself, and wanted to give kids that same option — a way to make the song their own. For the recording, several children who practice taekwondo sang backing vocals alongside her. Elske handled the lead vocals and the rest of the production proces herself. The song came out on September 18, 2026, with an English version following a week later, to inspire an international community of taekwon-do fans.