Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Merriweather.
Hi Ariel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Well, I’m a born and raised Georgia Peach! I literally have never lived anywhere outside of Georgia in my life, even when I went to college, I stayed state bound. I was raised by an AMAZING man who raised myself and one of my older sisters as a single father after my mother passed away of breast cancer when I was three. He eventually remarried, but unfortunately my stepmom also had cancer and ended up passing. I am thee baby out of three sisters! Gabrielle, Alessandra & Ariel! AKA Doug and the girls haha!
I had a typical childhood, but it was so awesome for me! Despite the early tragedies in my life, I was a very happy kid! I was always playing with my friends & was always wanting to be involved in something… But once I hit high school, I found my niche which was dance.
I didn’t have the technical background that a lot of these girls have, such as starting to dance when they could walk, or being members of prestigious dance companies, doing company shows every year & stuff! I never had that life when it came to dance. Between watching my cousin in her dance companies growing up, and my sister dancing at the high school, they really inspired me to dance myself and I found out I was naturally good at it! I joined a high school dance team my freshman year, which didn’t really happen at Parkview, but I made it my freshman year and became captain my sophomore year. I took dance classes literally during school. I didn’t take classes outside of school nor was I involved in any kind of companies outside of school. So for four years, Ms. B was teaching me how to dance for at least an hour everyday during the school year.
After graduating high school and enrolling in Valdosta State University, I still wanted to dance, but I was so pressured by thinking of my future with dance. Will I be able to make a living as a professional dancer? I swear if I could have just seen into the future just a little bit, I would’ve never questioned making dance my primary focus for school. I was learning so much about Dance and was being technically trained by some amazing professors at the University that once I graduated in 2016, I moved back to Atlanta & literally jumped headfirst into the industry out here in the city and from that moment until now, I have been consistently training, consistently dancing, consistently performing and it’s so much different than I had originally thought 5 or 6 years ago! What’s exciting about it is that I’m really just beginning my real journey.
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?
Wow, the flashbacks that were triggered just by reading that question HAHA! It has been the most trying, yet satisfying, yet frustrating, yet beautiful! I do a lot of reflecting, and no matter how insecure I may have felt throughout this journey, and you would be surprised how many of us women are very insecure about things but mask it! I’m always reassured somehow someway that no matter how insecure I may feel at that moment, it doesn’t define me as a dancer or as a woman. It reassures me that there’s always room for improvement in that area and I am literally not settling for complacency. I’m always looking for some kind of way to improve or way to work through those insecurities because I know that my talent speaks for itself, but if I don’t have the confidence behind it, I can’t expect myself to go anywhere, do anything or be anybody, but that is always the constant reassurance that I am realizing day by day by day as I get older.
My biggest struggle on this road would have to be social media. Everybody wants to be the IT girl, everybody wants to have their big break and I would always compare myself to my peers that were out here accomplishing the same goals that I have or who are out here flourishing and venturing out into different things and I know I’m my own person… I know that none of this is a competition, because all of us can be at the top and all of our journeys are not the same WHAT SO EVER! I’m just now trying to get into giving myself credit instead of showing so much humility alllllll the time. It’s okay to say I DID THAT! I’ve never been the conceited type because I have always hated an arrogant dancer, period. I know I’m not the very best, but I always try my very best and I will put my very best foot forward ALWAYS and that is a reflection of what people see from me when I perform. I still have my times where I find myself comparing when I start scrolling on social media, but at the same time, I’ve actually been stepping away from social media a lot more and have been really tapping back into real life, and it’s been exactly what I needed.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Well, even though I’ve mentioned it 222 times now, I think it’s safe to say that I be out here dancing 🤣 I’ve dabbled in jazz, ballet, contemporary, modern, hip-hop, heels, etc. I’ve even tried a little footwork, shout out to House Arrest II Championship Dance Team, Inc.! I have never really thought about what I’m known for, but when I think about it, I think people associate me of course, with my blue hair lol I’m known for my blue hair, for dancing with Hemmingw8y, as well as the other groups I’m associated with! I’m known for being Ariel, lol it’s just kind of funny when you say ‘what am I known for’ especially cause I’m regular degular, it would be interesting to see from other people’s perspective!
Most… I would say my constant growth. I don’t necessarily have like a gig or certain performance or certain booking that I’m most proud of… I think it’s my constant growth that continuously makes me proud. It kind of makes me feel like I really can accomplish everything that I put my mind to. Of course, it always helps that I’m naturally an Aries too 🤣 you know, we just have that trait as far as always being determined to really do anything that we want to do & succeeding! And if there’s one thing about Ariel Simone Merriweather, when I am super determined, I literally will not stop until I get it.
I really think that my mindset sets me apart from the others and that’s not necessarily something that you will always see from other people… it’s not necessarily like a physical thing that you’re able to clearly see. I think when people actually sit down to have a conversation with me, that’s when they see what sets me apart from the others. Remember I told you as a child I was very social… when I started really getting into like my mid-20s that completely changed. I stay home. If I’m not at the studio or if I’m not on a gig or if I’m not helping someone out, I am home and I’d rather stay home. I rather not talk to people and a lot of the times I’d rather not be bothered lol I’m human! But when I am engaged, I love having conversations with people especially about in-depth things. And when people actually have a conversation with me, I feel like they get to see the real me outside of dancing Ariel. If I could put a point on what sets me apart from others dance wise, I just think I have a different type of confidence like everybody has a different type of confidence that they hold within themselves especially when it comes to the things that they love to do… no matter if they’re struggling with it at the time or if they’re breezing by, I just think that I have a different type of confidence as well as my hype. When I say my hype, I mean my hype man abilities lol my dance friends will tell you that whenever I am in the room and I’m watching someone, I will be screaming and rooting for you 100%, because not only does it make people feel good, but I feel like it makes them really tap into the room itself because it’s not always about catching the step, but having fun while doing it, mess ups and all! I love that!
What matters most to you?
See, now y’all are trying to make me emotional lol of course outside the obvious, my loved ones matter the most to me. When everything is said and done, they are the ones that I have at the end of the day. If there ever becomes a day where I’m ready to just throw in the towel and give up on everything, those loved ones are going to remind me why I shouldn’t & remind me what I’m capable of. And I do have to brag a little, but there are some bomb people who genuinely care about me & love me so much and the feeling is so mutual if not more! A pandemic will really make you realize how loved you are and how much you love those people that are in your life. They support me all the time or when they can! I hate asking for support lol I just kind of feel like that’s one of those things that you just do when you love people, you support them however you can and there’s so many ways to support your loved ones! We all hold each other down.
Contact Info:
- Email: ariel.merriweather05@gmail.com
- Instagram: arielsimone_
- Facebook: Ariel Simone
Image Credits
@shotsbygunn @kiddambition DeQuan Williams Markeith Jones
