Q: What has been your professional dance journey, and how did you come to dance with Dance Theater of Harlem?

My mother was a professional dancer from London and moved to NYC at 18 and danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem. Once I was born, I started getting into dance. I played the violin, played tennis, on the debate team, you know — a lot of different things. At 18, I auditioned for Julliard as a joke, for dance. I made it to the last six and I realized that, ‘oh, maybe I’m not too bad at this.’ My goal was to go to NYU to dance and do medicine but I was rejected. I went to Ailey/Fordham instead and at the end of sophomore year I apprenticed with Ailey II. I finished my schooling and I did Ailey II for two years, then freelanced and worked with Beyoncé and worked with Broadway shows. I was asked to join Collage Dance Collective in Memphis. I danced there for three years. In the middle of those years, I moved back to New Jersey to be with my parents and I reached out to Dance Theatre of Harlem for work. Consequently, a dancer was leaving and I was hired two seasons ago. I am currently getting my Master’s at Hollins University in Virginia and will be completing that degree this summer to help with an artistic growth and colonized mindset about dance and to give myself a broader perspective, because I don't believe a 9-to-5 job is dance. Dance is much more than that. My projects and research are intertwined with my touring.

Q: Do you have any mentors or important people in your life that have shaped the way you dance and or think about dance?

Everyone I have come into contact with. Everyone from company members in Ailey to students I've mentored, even to my thesis mentor. And I say that because I believe everyone comes into your life for a different reason. I believe they have something to share and something to take away as well. It has been everyone who has been there during my training.

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Q: What have been some challenges in your pre-professional or professional dance career?

It always has been about being a chameleon. I wanted to be a dancer that is able to do all the dance styles — tap, jazz, ballet, Cunningham, etc… I want to have a spectrum of work. But when you are in a ballet company, the company looks at you differently for that. I come from a diverse background, versus other members in the company that have a very traditional background of classical technique. Another challenge currently is my state of mind and how much I have changed since I started dancing. I don't put ballet on a platform anymore — I see dance equally and that can be challenging if others don’t see it that way as well.

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Q: Do you believe dance can be a platform for social justice topics? If so, how? and/or Have you used your art form to make a difference?

Dance is a platform for social justice topics and it does that through conversation because that is the actual work of dance. Dance has to be able to tell stories and be a reflection of the world and the times that are happening, and it doesn't always have to be about fictional stories. I think it can talk about the unseen and the seen and be for strictly entertainment as well… It is human nature to move. I believe as artists it’s up to us to send messages through choreography and self-reflection. It is all inclusive in dance.

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Q: What inspires you and drives you forward as an artist and a person?

Life itself — it is the drive of getting up and knowing everyday is a new day and a gift. And there is a form of meditation that comes with repetition, that for me is the driving force. My mother passed away two months ago and I want to uphold her legacy as well. Every day is a gift and you must keep going, whatever that is. I believe life will provide itself for you if you keep going.

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Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you as a performing artist?

We had to shut down our Detroit season right away. Coincidentally our company is on a two week layoff; however, we don't know when we will come back to work. Financially, Dance Theatre of Harlem is trying to keep us on payroll and they are finding resources to take care of us. In terms of not going to the studio, we don't have access and our homes have become our studios. Our computers have been a huge source of connecting. I just took a pilates class from a friend online. I am someone who moves with the flow, and when things change I think I will change and move with it. I would rather adapt. It has affected me physically and mentally, and it is exciting to know there are resources out there. It has given me more time to work on my thesis, and I have more research time now as well.

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Q: How do you think we can continue to create and share art during this time?

The creative aspect is individual. Some dancers may like to write or read. I think it is about acquiring knowledge, then you spit that knowledge back out into the world in your own way. Learning to then create a new work to satisfy the craving inside. Sharing our stories is so important. There are so many things to do, I like to listen to world music... I see people support and shout out other artists, like listing ten artists and reposting and sharing ten more artists to keep us all connected and sharing during this time. I have seen people teaching young people how to sew pointe shoes and just finding ways of how we can use the internet to stay connected to each other during this time.

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Q: What social changes and responsibilities have you seen people making during the pandemic?

I have seen half and half when it comes to self-help. Some people are staying inside and some people are being a bit more rebellious and going out there, especially those who cannot afford to take off from work and other obligations as well. I have also seen people be more connected to each other. A few days ago I went to the park and I saw families enjoying nature. There is less traffic and you can hear the birds and take advantage of what nature has to offer… I am excited for when the pandemic ends, how much appreciation people have of being next to each other and seeing people reignite their imagination of what was missed during this time. I cannot wait to hear the live piano music and see myself in the mirror dancing again.

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Q: Do you think the pandemic will make us a more socially conscious society? If so, how?

Yes, absolutely. I think it will make us more social and allow people to not take for granted what we do have. I think we will remember what it feels to be quarantined. I think it will encourage people to maintain the things they do inside their home, whether it’s meditating, reading, drawing, researching. People will have more of a balance between personal and social connections, as well as a more family-oriented mindset.

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Q: Using the idea of “worldmaking” how do you imagine the performing arts world after the pandemic? (Worldmaking: How you can re-imagine the world in your own terms, the way you want it to be. Using this tool one can construct new worlds and write themselves into narratives that have excluded them and systems that have disabled them.)

I would love to see more companies work with each other. I would like to see companies dedicate one piece to social justice, and ballet companies to do this especially. I would love to see more blending and more time to sit and talk about social justice issues like in dance magazines and online on social media. I would like to see more writing and exposure of what it is like to be a freelance artist and expose the issues of being a dancer in general. I would like to see dancers speak out to Congress and say, “Artists need to be on an equal platform as athletes.” I think there is much more work to be done and I see the process being sped up after this pandemic.