Today we’d like to introduce you to Kamryn Vaulx
Hi Kamryn, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started dancing when I was about 3 years old with creative movement classes as my mom worked out at the Hope and Healing center in Memphis. As time passed, I was pushed by loved ones to join dance teams such as the praise team at my home church, Metropolitan Baptist Church, and at my elementary school, Alton Elementary. Those around me saw that I had a real love and passion for dance/movement/story telling and encouraged my mom to really invest in my training. From there I began competitive dance training at Mid-South Dance Academy and Danz House Memphis from ages 6-14 studying styles such as jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet and contempoary. I realized I wanted to really commit to the study and art of dance beyond high school so I transfered to a new studio at age 15 which was New ballet Ensemble & School. I dove deeper into my ballet and modern dance training and was even introduced to the art of Flamenco. The foundations of all those styles propeled me to commit to studying dance in college and pursue dance as a career. I graduated in the year 2020 from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Dance/Choreography and Minor in Business Management. Since then, I’ve been blessed to say that I’m a professional dancer in this beast of an industry and my passion for dance grows more and more everyday.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definetley has not been a smooth road. I think having such a physically demanding job always comes with its struggles. Especially as a black dancer, I’ve had a lot of low moments where I felt I wasnt capable of doing what I do today. Whether it was insecurities about my body, or decifering if this could be a real career for me, I’ve always been hit with an obstacle along the way. I also graduated from college into a global pandemic so that alone came with a lot of struggles and challenges. The world felt so upside down and backwards and impossible to live in. A lot of dancers and artist had no idea where they would land. However, so many new oppurtunities were blossoming at the time and we had to find a new way to occupy those spaces. All or some of the knowledge we just left college with sort of went out the window and we had to grasp a new way of existing. Even to this day I still have doubts and struggle with imposter sydrome…feeling like no matter how much and how hard I’ve studied the art of dance, I’m not meant for certain spaces, or my body type isn’t what “they” want because things are so different now.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a professional/freelance dancer and model in NYC. I’ve had the blessing of being able to occupy both commercial and concert dance spaces, from dancing on The Apollo stages, to doing music videos and live performances with musical artist. Some of my favorite most consistent styles I do are modern/contemporary and hip hop, however as a freelance dancer, I have to be ready to do any style when needed. I think that what sets me a part from others. Ive had the oppurtunity to study and obtain so many styles of dance that I can always bring to the table to set me a part from others. Being a versatile dancer in this industry and city is a MUST. I’m beyond proud of how far I’ve come and that I fight everyday to be able to call dance a career. I rpoud that my passion for it has remained in my heart and that I’ve used it to provoke thought ad feeling beyond myself. I’ve also been working as a fit model for American Eagle for 3 years. Fit modeling has been a great addition to my freelance work because similarly to dance, I have to understand angles of my body and how to show off clothing and how it looks/feel/moves with the body. It’s all art!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I often reminisce about my childhood in Memphis because I miss home so often. Now that I’m living and performing in NY, I dont always have my family in the audience to watch and support me. I often think about all of my recitals, dance competitions, and other core memories that I had my family waiting in the lobby for me with flowers and arms wide open for a hugs. Those memories I will always hold close. When those memories pop up in my head, they remind me to keep pushing and that I have so much support and love surrounding me no matter where I am in this world performing.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kamrynvaulx
