At three years old, my sister and I became inspired by Annie, the musical. While I danced, my sister sang. I first began to train in modern dance, and after seeing the Alvin Ailey Company perform, I knew immediately that I wanted to dance professionally. In 6th grade, my mom put me into a performing arts middle school for ballet classes. Later on, I left my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and attended college in New York. I attended the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University BFA program. After dancing with the Alvin Ailey program, I was given her “big break” when she performed in The Wiz, Lost in the Stars, and Hairspray. After performing in various famous performances, I auditioned for the Cirque Du Soleil in Los Angeles. I auditioned for Cirque Du Soleil’s 2012 creation. The audition started out with 40 women, and was cut down to four, and I being one of them. About three days after the audition, I heard back from Cirque Du Soleil, and I was accepted. I was walking in the street when I learned I had been accepted. I screamed out of pure joy and happiness. I was given the role of the Peacock Goddess. From 2012-2014, I performed in the Cirque Du Soleil. I was the only dancer in the company. Being the only dancer had its perks, but I also missed the camaraderie that came with working in a dance company. I traveled to Canada, and to the east and west coasts. After dancing with the Cirque Du Soleil for two and a half years, I left the company in Boston.
My pre-performance routine started out by warming up in the Big Top – the tent the company toured in. Taking dance classes in the cities I was performing in was one of my methods of warming up and preparing for the performance. After I applied my makeup, I listened to music in order to clear my mind. Lastly, I went over choreography. I performed the show over 700 times, but I managed to make the show feel fresh, and new.
Currently, I am teaching in New York at the Alvin Ailey School. I can also be seen as a featured dancer in the upcoming film Bolden! and in commercials for companies like Hello Flo. In addition to being a freelance performing artist, alongside my husband, I am starting a business to help students navigate their career paths.