Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Griggs.
Kimberly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My dance career started in Birmingham, Alabama. I’m a southern girl who loves the city! Atlanta was where I aspired to be since the age of twelve. I was first introduced to dance at church. At the age of four, a minister prophesied to me. He came up to my mom and said, “God told me your daughter is going to dance,” and from that point on it was literally all I did and wanted to do! I danced at church on the praise dance team and looked forward to rehearsals every weekend. It brought me so much joy. When I got to middle school, I auditioned for the dance team and made it along with the dance captain position. I had no formal training until I got to high school but could naturally execute the movement. I auditioned for the dance team there as well and became captain. I then received training after our coach, Jacqueline Lockhart, suggested that I enroll in dance classes at her studio. I auditioned for the Performing Arts Institute dance company and made it. There I was trained in many styles including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, African, modern, and contemporary. I was dancing ALL day as a teenager. I would take two dance classes at school, go to dance club meetings/rehearsals after school, dance team practice and then company practice at the studio. I loved it! Little did I know those late nights, early mornings, and last minute changes to routines the day of the shows were preparing me for my dream that I’m living out to this day!
Before I graduated, I attended my very first heels dance class hosted by Birmingham’s very own, Allison Barnes. She was the first person I knew from Alabama who danced with Beyoncé. At the time, I didn’t know that dancing behind Beyonce was possible. I’ve always desired to be on tv, dance, act, and have a clothing line but it didn’t seem achievable being from a such a small city. However, after I attended that dance class a fire lit inside of me and I knew dancing professionally was exactly what I would pursue! Upon graduating high school, I was anxious to start my dance career ASAP. However, my dad insisted that I receive a college degree. I enrolled at the University of Alabama and joined the Riptide dance team. My sophomore year, I quit and became step captain of the Theta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s step team, which was such an amazing experience. Those sleepless nights, hard work and dedication were preparing me for my present-day career as well.
A big milestone of mine is a YouTube video that was posted from a routine I created in 2012 at UA’s Onyx Stroll Off. I put all of my creativity into that performance because I love to win and we were competing against the fraternities well. I didn’t expect it to go viral and get over 1 million views. I just wanted a great show! In June 2014, exactly one month after graduation, I moved to Atlanta. In college, I was very miserable because my heart’s desire was to make my dreams come true. I cried myself to sleep some nights because I knew that I wasn’t in the right place. It made me sick to my stomach. Therefore, when I relocated to Atlanta I felt free. I began interning at Dance 411’s dance camp and then went on to teach there during the year. A few months later, I got signed with a talent agency and my career commenced from there!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Wow! It’s been more bumpy than smooth for sure. Some of the struggles I’ve encountered surely would be the testing of my faith. I genuinely love God and trust his plan for my life. So of course, there will be strife and battles of the mind. I’ve encountered obstacles dealing with things not working out how I intended them to and my goals seeming to take forever to accomplish. However, each time I wouldn’t book an audition, be overlooked, or truly feel as if I wasn’t ready; I prayed. Sometimes, I had to force myself to do so because in those low moments, I felt as if God wasn’t looking out for me. Even so, every time I prayed and gave it to God blessings followed. I was about to move back to Alabama six months after I relocated to Atlanta because I wasn’t getting any dance opportunities. I was consistently training, taking classes all day every day after my 9-5 which I despised and nothing was happening. I would book auditions but somehow every single gig ended up getting canceled. One day after I taught my classes at Dance 411, I made up in my mind to move home that weekend and rethink this whole dance career thing. I decided that I wasn’t taking dance classes that night. Instead, I was preparing to go home, get my clothes together and leave; but I heard God speak to me saying, “Go to class.” I listened. On that day during the dance class I said I wasn’t going to take, was the day an agency scouted me! Since I’m a perfectionist I also go through phases where I feel as if I can’t do certain things because I want them to be perfect or I simply believe I’m not ready. Those obstacles I faced were the battle of the mind and I was holding my own self back.
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to dance for a major artist and it didn’t work out. I was very distraught but pushed myself to enroll in kickboxing to be in great shape, took more dance classes and ate extremely healthy. Five months later, I was presented with the opportunity to dance in a performance with Teddy Riley and Guy. In my mind, I felt I wasn’t ready. I was planning to decline the opportunity because the show was the next day and I had to learn all of the routines that night in a such a short amount of time. However, I prayed and God told me to do it. He said that he would get me through. I obeyed and that was the best decision of my life to date! I have toured, traveled all over the world and worked with artists I never imagined working with from me conquering my mind in that moment. Receiving a no pushed me towards being in the best shape I’ve ever been in and was preparing me for the strenuous routines I had to perform on the job I booked months later. Never tell yourself you can’t do anything. It is written that you can do ALL things through Christ no matter how impossible they may seem. That’s a promise!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am currently a working professional dancer in Atlanta, GA. It’s truly a blessing to live out a dream that I have been working towards since the age of four. So far, God has blessed me with the opportunity to dance with many artists including Teddy Riley, Pharrell, Timbaland, Lil Duval, Bobby Brown, Tank, Ginuwine, Teyana Taylor, SWV, Keith Sweat, Al B Sure, Mc Lyte, Ro James, Guy, Blackstreet, T.I., Fatman Scoop, Magoo, Douge Fresh and Lil Vicious just to name a few. I’ve also been on the television shows STAR, Being Mary Jane, American Soul, The Originals, Dynasty and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Touring as a professional dancer has taken me all over the United States as well as the world! Thus far, I’ve been to Mexico, Nassau, Aruba, Coco Cay Island, and Malta. I am presently touring with creator of New Jack Swing and musical genius, Teddy Riley.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My biggest dance goals are to tour with Beyoncé and become a successful creative director. Many ingenious ideas come to my mind when I hear a song or see certain visuals. I can’t wait for the opportunity to work on projects with various artists/directors and release them! Even though dance is my first love I have other passions such as acting, styling and designing. I’m venturing into my acting career taking classes and auditioning for roles. I’ve also loved styling, creating cute fashionable outfits and embellishing them since I was a teenager! I’m passionate about it just as much as dance so I’m building my clothing brand and business as well. However, my main objective through every goal, every talent and every step I take is to inspire and motivate the world to do what their heart desires. God is love and gives gifts and talents to us all.
So when you do what you love you are pleasing him. I want to let everyone know that they are special, loved and can make it! That is what fuels me to work even harder because this road is not for the faint of heart and you have to be tough. The reassurance from someone else to keep going will help in so many ways. I have a strong fervor for encouraging people. Therefore, one day I’ll be a motivational speaker inspiring others to accomplish their goals and pursue their dreams despite any obstacle that arises. I’m very excited to see what the future has in store because I’m just getting started! The best is yet to come. To anyone who took out the time to read my story, I pray that you are motivated to work hard in pursuit towards your dreams! Remember, a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. You are more than a conqueror and God is within you so you WILL NOT fail. 🙂
Contact Info:
- Email: kimmiguel224@gmail.com
- Instagram: @kiim.miguel
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