Rising Stars: Meet Jonathan Thomas of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Thomas.

Hi Jonathan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story is somewhat unconventional compared to the standard narrative of how many have chosen to pursue dance. I grew up playing sports such as Football & Track. It’s all I ever really knew. I did extracurriculars here and there, played violin, acted in student showcases, even sang at my recitals in elementary and middle school, but football was still my passion up until high school. It was sophomore year when my dance teacher during my tenure was looking for guys to “lift” some dancers for a production going on. Not knowing any dance vocabulary I jumped right in, excited to get to mingle and show off, but It was at that moment and little did I know that this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. How freely the dancers were moving and the joy on their faces while doing what they loved made me want to pursue it even more. Football was too restrictive for me. It didn’t provide an outlet for me to really be in tune with myself and explore, how dance did. On the Marley I could be myself, on the field I had to mask and that was a pivotal moment for me, because I knew then that dance offered something deeper than football ever could. Now 10 years later I am in rooms that I never thought of or expected to be in. I’ve trained with some of the top choreographers around the world such as Anthony Burrell, Hamilton Evan’s, Candace Brown, recently completed the Chris Grant Intensive and now currently touring with six flags theme park for a second year apart of the SPLASH! Parade touring cast! Dance makes me feel unstoppable and my consistency, faith and passion for dance has gotten me where I am today! It challenges my mind in some of the best ways possible and I will continue to forever pour everything I have into this art form!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been smooth. There were days I wanted to give up, days I wanted to quit, but I knew that if I stayed the course and gave it my all and put in the work I would see the results eventually! Growing up I always felt judged. I never felt like I belonged. Even now I still don’t. But dance makes me feel like I belong. I feel like I exist and stand for something. I’m not going to always have good days when dancing, but being able to release whether good or bad and create something beautiful is fascinating to me. Not everything will be perfect, some days will be more messy than others but embracing the process and being able to see the messiness turn into something beautiful has made me fall in love with dance even more.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a professional dancer and have been training for the past 10+ years. I am trained and specialize in styles such as jazz, contemporary, ballet and hip hop. In high school I trained pre professionally in these styles as well up until college where I attended an all women’s college (Brenau University) and continued to dive deeper into these styles. After college I attended xcel talent agency where I trained in the agency program for a year from 2023-2024 and now I continue to train with the agency and take classes! My main genre is jazz and contemporary. Those styles I am known for and really get to express who I am. I am most comfortable performing and teaching those styles and I also get to show a different side of me. I love classical jazz, but it’s just something about jazz funk and the edgy, street, feeling of being able to be clean but messy at the same time when dancing. Dancing the technique as my teachers would say! I am most proud of staying open and being versatile. It’s easy to get stuck and used to one style but the fact that I am able to tap into many styles, be consistent and be called a good performer by many of the people that inspire me really makes me proud! It shows that the work is paying off. What sets me apart from others is my performance and my technique. Yes everyone has technique but it’s about how you perform it. Yes it’s nice to be flexible and do all these amazing things with our facility, but who are you when you dance, and how you connect with audience resignates and draws them in more!

What does success mean to you?
Success to me is achieving my goals and aspirations. It’s easy to set goals but to achieve them to me takes strategy and consistency… something I learned over time and still continuing to learn. It means setting a clear direction for myself and working extremely hard to reach that destination. Yes it’s about the finish line and controlling the goals but I’ve also learned that more importantly it’s about enjoying the journey.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/itsjonisaiah