Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Calhoun.
Joshua, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started dancing when I was five, my mom showed me the movie “The Wiz” and at that moment, I fell in love with dancing. I knew I wanted to dance but I didn’t have an outlet until the summertime when I use to dance at my camps. The summer camps is where I met my mentors who inspired me to dance (Walter Hull, Leigha Porter, and Jason Montgomery). That was the only time I could get actual training. My parents wanted me to play sports because that what my family was known for back home (Lafayette, Louisiana) but my heart wasn’t in it. So, years I went with training, I would dance in my living room because I never had any other place to dance. My freshman in high school I stop doing sports and joined my high school step team (that’s where I got my nickname: PRiME). From there, that’s when I realized I loved to perform so I use that to my advantage of training. My junior year, my mentor Leigha Porter opened her studio “Fire Expression Dance Conservatory” and invited me to train under her. While training under her, I was able to land a role in Debbie Allen “Pepito’s Story” where I got to experience my first professional dance job. I graduated high school (2014) and enrolled at Southern University where I marched for the Human Jukebox (Funk Factory).
While at Southern in 2015, my crab brother Ladonte and good friend Moriah Campbell decided to start our own team at Southern and we did the team was called “Elev8n”. We took the campus by storm, we had packed out auditions, booked a lot of events on and off campus, from movies, performances, and music videos. In that time, I was choreographing a lot through Louisiana, but I felt like I could be doing more. One day, I remember scrolling on Instagram and I across a flyer on Instagram promoting ATLA Connect Cycle 5 auditions (2017) in Atlanta and I felt like this was meant for me to follow. I took a step out on faith and went out to audition. The process was extremely challenging to me with everything else going on in my personal life but I kept positive things near me. I made the auditions and moved from Louisiana to Georgia in like two days with my sisters Faithe Williams and Moriah Campbell. I moved with only 3 trash bags of clothes and $48 in my pocket and a dream of changing my life. I stayed with one of the dancers from the company who’s now a good friend (Alvin Williams).
In the time of me moving down here, I picked up two jobs Cvs (24hrs) and wet willies, I would work at CVS 11am-5pm then work at wet willies from 8pm to 2:30 am to start my overnight shift (3-10am) at CVS and still finding time to dance during the day. I decided I wanted to finish school because when I decided to move from Louisiana, I was a Jr at Southern, I applied and got accepted to Morris Brown, from there I decided to join House Arrest 2 Championship Dance Team Inc. and train under my Boys Captain at the time Keyonte Cobb (2018). Now, I’m currently offering dance classes in the AUC, also collaborating with different choreographers and artists to continue building my name trying to learn everything I can.
Thank you: Mom and Dad Leigha, Walter, Jinx, Prentice, Tori, Keyla, Bri, Bri Bebes, Al, Dougie, Elev8n, Makayla, Mimi, Katie, Kris, Dom, Jumani, HA2, GCATL, IRS, Reginold, and Keyonte for everything.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been far from easy but I’m extremely grateful for my struggles because with them my story wouldn’t inspire that little boy who’s reading this.
The first struggle I encounter was obviously me being a gay black male who’s interested wasn’t in sports but dancing. Having been bullied constantly and treated like I was a freak really took a toll on me. I never had a positive role model to consistently look up to and go to whenever I would feel down about it.
In high school, I was apart of a step team and it was the hardest time in my life because I was struggling with who I was. My parents didn’t support the step team and I knew I couldn’t talk to them about me struggling with my sexuality. Struggling with this lead me to seek a family relationship with people on the team. At 16, I was sexually abused by a trusted alumni of the team which caused me to act out. I didn’t have anyone to run to at that time so I just shut people out. I didn’t deal with it how I should have until recently with the help of my generation brothers and sisters (I love you I.R.S).
I lost my apartment right before I moved to Atlanta and I was afraid of being homeless, my sister Makayla Lundy offers her home up to me and for that, I’m forever grateful to her.
The time I moved to Atlanta, my mother was dealing with cancer and had a set time to live. Imagine being states away from your mother and she’s dying, every day was hard. My dad was the only working at that time so my parents couldn’t support me so I had little to nothing. Prentice Garret, Reginold Boudreaux, and Alvin Williams were my main supporters through my transition.
During my Fall semester, I lost two family members in the same week and that broke me down. It’s been days I didn’t want to get out of bed but my big Sisters Rakiya Johnson, Makayla Massey and my mentor Keyonte Cobb helped me through it.
But through out all my bumps I’m grateful to be alive and well, but more importantly the people God has brought in my life.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a dancer/choreography.
I’m currently a choreographer in the AUC Agency, so I will be host classes this semester in the AUC, so my goal is to just honestly put my best out and make sure I have the same effect that I had a Southern Univ, UL, and LSU . I’m currently Boys Dance Captain of HA2 so my main is make sure my team is the best Chapter around (choreography & performance wise) also becoming more versatile dancers.
What I’m most proud of and what I believe sets me apart from others.
1.) I’m extremely resilient. I really don’t let anything keep me down or keep me from anything I want to do.
2.) I believe in putting God first in everything I do.
3.) I believe in being AUTHENTIC and true to my craft and journey.
4.) I’m always willing and ready to learn.
5.) My passion is tremendous.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In 5-10years, I see my name and brand being more public, also to be represented by a talent agency if I’m blessed with the opportunity.
Pricing:
- $20.00 hr
Contact Info:
- Address: 365 Beckwith St
- Phone: 3375521697
- Email: primecalhoun47@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1dwfsswnstxtc&utm_content=l5e1t
Image Credit:
ATLA Entertainment
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