Daily Inspiration: Meet Tiffany Jacobs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Jacobs.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
So, my story is pretty different from most!

I am now a training and working professional dancer in Atlanta, Georgia, but it was a journey getting here. I was placed in a dance program at the age of four but that was pretty short-lived and I don’t remember most of it. I fell in love with the acrobatics portion of dance which resulted in a new found interest in gymnastics. Following that, I quickly started gymnastics and then cheerleading. I was nine years old when I realized that cheer is what stuck for me. I started gaining stunting and tumbling skills through cheerleading and joined a worlds level team after just three years of starting! Cheerleading was all I knew for most of my life. I eventually got into school cheerleading in my high school years and even cheered on the collegiate level.

Through all of the years of cheerleading, gymnastics and other activities, I would always find myself watching dance class videos on YouTube. Knowing the choreographers and dancers by name, knowing all of the studio names, learning my favorite dance steps, all of it. Watching people dance was one of my favorite pass times growing up. No matter what new sport or activity I got into, I would always go back to watching people dance. It seemed like a very distant dream to be a part of the dance community and just watching was enough for me at the time.

I never saw dance becoming something I actually wanted to pursue on a professional level in a million years… until my cheerleading teammates and I received an opportunity to be a part of a professional dance job in 2022, with Ciara and her amazing team! This opportunity was such a wonderful experience, altogether. My favorite part of it all was being able to watch, learn from and network with her choreographers and dancers. Being surrounded by dance in real life put things into perspective for me. It made me think to myself, maybe dance wasn’t meant to be just a dream for me, but something I could potentially pursue if everything aligned.

Some time after this experience, I made the decision to give professional dance a shot. The summer of 2024, I graduated college and moved to Atlanta, GA to train in hopes of becoming a well-rounded, working professional dancer. Since the big move, I have been learning, networking, working and getting accustomed to this new life. Most of my peers in this industry have been dancing their entire lives which makes my story a little more out of the ordinary, but it is a blessing to be in spaces with and learn from dancers that have so much knowledge of the art.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to where I’m at now has not at all been easy.

Learning how to dance, especially on a professional level, at this age is the biggest challenge in itself. I chose to move to Atlanta specifically because I knew all of the raw talent that lives here, and being a beginner in such spaces is inspiring on so many levels but can also be discouraging at times. Within my first year of living here, I have learned the importance of taking care of yourself inside and outside of dance. I have learned that it is super important to be patient when learning new things and when taking on new passions. I sometimes find myself not being completely content with my growth and where I’m at in my dance journey, but in times like that I remind myself of how far I’ve come and that in due time everything will fall into place so long as I keep going!

Another obstacle I face is homesickness. Moving states to pursue this dream of mine was tough when it came to leaving my loved ones. Being so far from family and friends will never be easy but I do go home to visit when I can and that helps! Also, with time I have started to create my own community away from home. Meeting new friends and experiencing new things in the city of Atlanta has allowed me to be present in this new chapter of my life, which also helps with missing home!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a training professional dancer based in Atlanta, Georgia! I have a focus in commercial hip hop and heels dancing but train in additional styles of dance such as jazz, ballet, contemporary and more! I am also a painting artist outside of dance, and own a small business for customized clothing pieces! For those who may be interested, my artwork can be found at TreArtwork on Instagram!

I would say most people probably know me from my cheerleading background, cheering at Winston-Salem State University, shout out to my Ramily! I am hoping to gain more of an audience for dance as well, the more that I post dance content on social media and continue to put myself out there.

I am proud of myself for many things, but an accomplishment that I’m most proud of would have to be moving my entire life to follow my dreams! Professional dance isn’t often looked at as a traditional career path, especially after graduating college, but I did it anyway and I’m so proud of myself.

What sets me apart from others is my work ethic and attention to detail! I have always been willing to, and will continue to work extremely hard to get to where I see myself being in the near future. And with all of the work that I am putting in, I am also very particular in the way I maneuver in this dance industry. The presence I have on social media, the classes I am taking, the people I am connecting with… it’s all very detailed and done in efforts to be the best dancer I can be!

What matters most to you?
God is what matters the most to me! I would not be where I am nor have any of the things I have without God. Any obstacle or troublesome moment I face, He gets me through it every time. He is my foundation and my life!

Pricing:

• For those that may be interested in customizing a piece of clothing, please direct message the TreArtwork page on Instagram!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trejaco
• LinkedIn: Tiffany R. Jacobs, BSN on LinkedIn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@trejaco

Image Credits
Amadi Chapata
Impak Palmer Visualz
John Couch Photography
Official NowThatsTV
PandaKo Media
Steven J. Gaither Photography