Today we’d like to introduce you to Vincent Harris-Williams.
Hi Vincent, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of nine years old, I was crowned the winner of amateur night at the world-famous Apollo Theater by Steve Harvey. It was then when I made the decision to pursue dance wholeheartedly. After graduating from Laguardia High School of Performing Arts, I was awarded a full scholarship the Boston Conservatory BFA program. In 2010 I received my first major contract with MOMIX dance theater where I was afforded the opportunity to travel and perform all over the world for six years. At the end of my contract, I decided that I wanted to use all of my training and experience to launch my own dance company. So, in 2017 I moved to Atlanta and with the assistance of my long-time friend, Willie Ashley, we started The Rahk Dance Theatre.
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?
Finding dancers was the easy part. However, making a name and building a reputation for a new dance company has not been so easy. It can take a lot of money and a lot of time to network and promote the company. Which causes the biggest struggle because when you are a new company, you aren’t making much money at first.
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 was fortunate enough to be trained in multiple genres of dance. With this advantage, I was able to work with the one world’s most popular dance companies, which required me to use my ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary training. On the flip side, I was blessed to work with some the world’s biggest recording artists such as Rihanna and Chris Brown.
However, I believe my strong suit to be Creative Directing. I love to bring ideas from the mind to the stage. I am known for creating extravagant dance productions. Having the Rahk Dance Theatre is equivalent to a kid on the playground. It is a space that we can create whatever we want, based on whatever we feel or whatever we are inspired to by. This is all due to my time spent in MOMIX and my love for hip hop and ballet. With those combined is what I believe sets myself and the Rahk Dance Theater apart from others.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice is to use your resources! I believe we live in a time where people are afraid to ask for help. I am completely guilty of that myself. However, I have found that once I began to ask for advice from other company owners I was surprised how many people were willing to offer suggestions. Now, not everything that was suggested worked for me and my company but I was able to incorporate the things that did.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therahkdancetheatre/?hl=en
- Facebook: The Rahk Dance Theatre
Image Credits
-Eddy Fernandez – Hakim Photography
