Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Daniels.
Hi Justin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Thank You all for giving me this space. My name is Justin Daniels. I am originally from Old Nat also considered College Park, Ga. Of the five boys my parents had together I was the hype one gliding around the pavement like Usher, practicing my Ciara backbends in sync with the music videos. Dance took my heart early on but I didn’t have the necessary financial or emotional support to pursue it in rare form. I played just about every sport and honestly was really good in everything. The only person I could take an L to was my big brother. My parents like most in my upbringing really encouraged us in athletics because sports like dance is a costly activities and if you’re going to invest in one ideally, it would be the one that could set our family into financial freedom or at least that seemed to be the notion from how successful black men have become in the sports industry.
The other side of that spectrum was how controversial it was for a black boy to be dancing and alone in tights in my environment. The fear of dance, specifically ballet, encouraging boys to be “flamboyant” or “gay” and it felt like the biggest weight of why I couldn’t dance. Identifying sexuality with the expression of dance showed me early on that people didn’t know how to free or express themselves. You only know what you know until you do more research for yourself. Research, being investigative and understanding. Dance is an embodiment of constant research of expression through an understanding of time, space, and energy. The epitome of grace through the grit of a bull. I always knew I wanted to dance and though my parents were not at the time ready to walk that path with me I was persistent with myself. The neighborhood became my stage. From cookouts to skating rinks to neighborhood dance crews, I kept myself surrounded by people who loved dancing and putting on dances just as much as I did. Halfway into middle school, I encouraged myself to audition for Camp Creek Middle School’s Dynamic Warriors basketball dance team. Usually it was an all girls team and though it could be challenging and sometimes discouraging being the only boy in the room, I’m glad I showed up that day. Coach Carter could really see my love for dance so much she made sure I continued on with it. She introduced Tri-Cities High School and all its glory to me; even set up the audition appointment with the school.
I didn’t know what to expect. I showed up with my mom one Saturday morning in June in some sweats and a Nike tank. Mrs. Axam, the dance director at the time, greeted me with so much love from the moment we walked into the studio. She asked me three things: did I know what a tendu, pile, and jete were? I couldn’t understand one word she said but I told her I knew how to do a toe touch and that was about it. We shared a laugh before she explained some basic steps and terminology to me. Once we walked into her office my jaw dropped, it felt like immediate peace when you stepped in and there was a giant posturing of I believe Antonio Doughit-Boyd of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater arched back in an assemble jump and I just stood in awe. I guess she could see the wonder in my eyes because her next question was in question of me willing to work hard for myself if she had allowed me to enter into her program. With an immediate response of yes it seemed as though everything I wanted as a kid was now in my reach and I was grabbing it.
Tri-Cities wasn’t my district school so I was making that transition from middle school alone. This is a school that’s truly one made of many so finding your tribe is really just connecting to the bulldog family, everybody yo kin up in there. When my mom couldn’t pick me up from dance rehearsals or take me to that audition on the weekend because the strength of a single mother is elasta-girl-I had my bulldog family supporting me every step of the way. I appreciate them so much. Ms. Mahone especially, this woman has supported me in so many ways I cannot thank her enough. She stepped into an irreplaceable role and championed me like I was her own and that changed a lot of how I viewed myself and approached my dancing.
I went on to attend The Boston Conservatory on scholarship and knowing school out of state was a big change, it was one I needed to advance myself and my training for a career in dance. BoCo really allowed me to thrive in the creation of myself as an artist and as an individual. Going into a PWI as a black student your awareness can feel heightened and sometimes introspective and even with the subtle racists I’ve encountered in my time there my peers and faculty were all inspiring and invested in themselves and the collective. We all supported each other and vouched for one another through our discomforts. Junior year of undergrad I got the opportunity to study abroad in Beijing, China which was a life-changing experience. I admire the culture and respect the hustle out there. The people I met and the places I saw were all so surreal. It was my first time out of the country and wasn’t going to be my last. I went on to graduate from the conservatory magna cum laude majoring in contemporary dance performance with a minor in psychology. Most of my senior year was spent auditioning and preparing myself for life beyond an Institution. I kept going knowing that God walks by my side and preparation breads opportunity. I signed with BLOCNY and booked my first national/international tour with RUDDUR Dance. I was humbled yet proven by faith what mountains can be moved and what can be molded into a reality. I am freelancing as an artist, choreographer, photographer, and instructor between Atlanta and New York doing tv & film, music videos, residences, and performances. Putting my dreams into discipline keeps me passionate about the more to come. Never stop dreaming, that’s the motivation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most roads, they’re never smooth and I pride myself in every stumble, bump, and stepping stone. Not only have they forged my character and renewed my mind but they’ve forged a path, my path, one that can go on to inspire others to keep stepping. I started dancing at a very late age of fifteen. All of my friends had been dancing since three and I looked and felt very behind. When I started dancing in high school finances and means of transportation were a huge part in why I didn’t audition for summer programs, private lessons, and competition studios in the Atlanta area. I got my first job around twelve walking the neighborhood cutting grass and by high school I was Life-Guarding and working at the movie theater year round so my commitments for extra-curricular were limited. My mom did what she could but I know first hand the journey of raising kids alone and it’s just complex to stretch yourself in the ways that every child individually needs. So I strived for independence because I knew the burden it would lift. Chasing Independence is great and provided me with a great sense of self, but we all ultimately need somebody to lean on unbearably truthfully. I struggled with body dysmorphia for a very long time. Apart from the teasing and molestation I had experienced in the early ages of my childhood I cultivated a sense of discomfort within my body. I didn’t think I had a “dancer’s” body. I was short, stocky, big butt, and biscuits for feet. So while the other parts of me were thriving in terms of character and integrity, there was a specific love for my body in the entity of itself that hadn’t been groomed. I found myself always anxious if my feet/pointe looked good, if my lines were okay, and constantly checking myself in the mirror for it. Projectional fear damaged a lot of confidence in my dancing. Family and friends were afraid of what dance would turn me into or what life I couldn’t have by becoming an artist. It wasn’t until college I started allowing myself to appreciate my body, learning that the mold of the body I wanted is based on my perception of myself internally. I could create myself exactly as I saw myself but I had to see myself as such first. I went into college knowing I wanted a different outcome four years later and I’m grateful to see it all have come into fruition. I moved from Boston to New York feeling like nothing could stop me and it couldn’t for a while. Then the pandemic hit and shortly after I would be facing my first injury.
In March of 2021, I completely tore my Achilles’ tendon causing me to have surgery and be out for the remainder of the year. Like most “disasters” we don’t see the blessings or rebirth from what was deconstructed first. Sometimes we have to be broken down to remove bad products used in our foundation. During this time of rest I had to deal with a lot of my own self destruction. I had really bad body dysmorphia that led to low confidence in my dancing, and as much as I fought against the projections of others, it was already a belief system I had been surviving off of. Something was stopping me from fully receiving the blessings and opportunities dance had given me so much of. I found that in my darkest moments is where I needed to hug myself. I never showed myself compassion because I had it in my head I wasn’t deserving of it until I proved myself wrong against all the negatives and had everything I dreamed of but that was only feeding the negatives. Everything I dreamed of is already and has been happening. Moving with that kind of love for myself is what got me back to dancing in 7 months rather than 12. It’s still a journey and I’m still seeing the ugly parts of it but I’ve glimpsed at the brighter side and what’s to come is already 10x greater than what “bad” thing that’s happened.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a freelance dancer, actor, choreographer, and photographer but I’m from Atlanta so I do everything. I try my best to train in every style of dance though a lot of my performance work currently is based in contemporary, hiphop, ballet and west African dance forms. I am most proud of what I’ve accomplished thus far and to know more is coming. Having time to write this interview has brought me to a lot of reflections and I’m grateful God chose me to do what I do and that my purpose was discovered early on. What sets me apart from anyone is the beat to my own drum. I walk into a room for myself and what I want out of it, not what others want from me. My smile can light up a room and I give that because I want those around me to feel comforted, joy, and at peace just as I do.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The best advice I could give anyone is that there are no mistakes in life, only choices and to take heed of your choices and your time. We spend lifetimes surviving because we are not aware or precise with our time. Whatever it is that you want to do, spend your time doing it. We all know the saying that things get better with time and time tells all. Well, they both serve the purpose of showing you that the things you are doing will either change you and you will get better or they become wasteful and you’ll clearly see the waste once time’s past. This concept as well as everything else in life takes two things: discipline and consistency. Discipline supplies success while consistency provides longevity and if you want to be successful in my field or any other you’re gonna need em both. Put your success in your hands. Your journey, your choice.
Pricing:
- $250 Master Class Series 5Hrs Min (2-3hr days)
- $200-$250 Small Group
- $300 Solo Work
- $150 HeadShots
- $350 Headshot + Dance Photos
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/justindepaul_
Image Credits
Headshot thanks to @Sonejr Salvatore DeMaio All other photos photographed by me Justin Daniels.
