Today we’d like to introduce you to Ania Jerrells.
Ania, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story all begins way back when my parents put me in my first dance class at the age of three. They put me in a dance studio by the name of Becky Jones School of Dance and I trained there up until about seventh grade. From there on, I continued to zone in more seriously on my training and began to train at multiple dance studios throughout my middle and high school years. While being apart of these studios, I was also able to participate in several regional and national dance competitions and conventions that contributed to my training as well. Along with that, I was also blessed to participate in some amazing summer intensive programs such as Debbie Allen’s Summer Intensive, The Rockettes Summer intensive, Ballethenic’s summer intensive, and many more.
Currently, I am freshman at Kennesaw State University majoring in dance while also training and auditioning at local studios and businesses in the Atlanta Metro area. My current goals include any work pertaining to the commercial dance industry along with anything else that comes my way. One thing that I want people to take away from my story is that you CAN make your dreams happen. Growing up, I was never that kid that had things come easily to them, I’ve had to work for everything I’ve ever wanted. With me being my worst critic, I tended to always think of myself as the dancer in the room that had to play “catch up.” Although, I used my frustration as fuel and the disbelief others had in me as motivation. As a believer, I learned that God will put trials in our lives that challenge us to show us just how strong we really are. This for me is very true as He has turned me into a warrior. I will continue to fight for my dreams and work hard to achieve them. So for those of you reading this, know that you are warrior and can achieve anything with the help of hard work, drive, passion, and a wholeeee lot of prayer.
Has it been a smooth road?
My dance journey was far from smooth. I faced a lot of judgment growing up from not only others but from myself. There was a span of time where I lost complete confidence in myself and in my dancing when I was making the transition from studio to studio. This for me was the worst part of my dance story because I was not enjoying the outlet that God had blessed me with. I wasn’t able to be free and dance to my fullest potential. I was scared and cared a lot about what others thought of me and my dancing. It ultimately affected the way I went about my daily life. I felt stuck and didn’t know how to get out of it. Despite this, the Lord started to show me how I could use all those feelings as fuel and slowly brought me out of that horrible funk. Now that I’ve been to that place, I now know who I am as a person and dancer and have a confidence that comes only from Him. I believe in myself because I know He has me, and that is a beautiful thing to say. All the glory to Him!!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a commercial dancer, I specialize in all styles as versatility is key. Although, I’m mainly known for being “the girl with the big curly hair” whenever I walk into a dance setting. What I’m most proud of as a dancer is my ability to use my knowledge I’ve learned from my years of training and apply that to my daily life as well as sharing my life lessons with others. It means something to me to be able to pour into other’s lives and seeing that manifest is one of the most rewarding things to witness. What sets me apart from others is my work ethic and something that’s so simple, but is getting so lost in our world which is being a kind human. I strive to share God’s love with anyone I come in contact with. In the dance world, it can sometimes be hard to find the kind and genuine people so when I come across them, it’s really refreshing!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The characteristic I feel that is most important to my success is my work ethic. Without my work ethic, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve any of the things I’ve been able to thus far. Also, I know that having a good work ethic is so key to anything we want in life for it will take anyone very far in life.
Contact Info:
- Email: AniaJerrells@Gmail.com
- Instagram: AniaJerrells
Image Credit:
@mi6ni6ght photography, @gfenimorephto
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
