Q: How old are you and where are you from?
– I am 28 years old and from Houston, TX
Q: How did you start dancing?
– When my sister and I were kids, my mother got us involved in a hodgepodge of different activities. She noticed I took to dance most intently and from then on she sent me to schools to cultivate it.
Q: What is your dream job in the dance industry?
– Right now my dream job is to join a full-time dance company that tours locally and internationally. I say right now because the more I plunge into the dance world, the more I discover about it. I’m open to pursuing other dance avenues.
Q: When you’re not busy dancing, what are some of your favorite things to do?
– I don’t have many hobbies besides dancing but I love trying new restaurants, shopping and doing Pilates.
Q: If you weren’t a dancer, what would you want to do?
– I always said if I didn’t dance I’d dedicate myself to fashion. Maybe a buyer or working for a magazine.
Q: What are the challenges and has anything surprised you?
– One of the biggest challenges for me being a dancer has been finding jobs that will fulfill me creatively but also help me sustain myself. I knew that being a dancer was difficult and I always assumed it was because of the physicality of the profession; however, I’m learning that it’s physical times two & discovering that I’ll probably always have to teach on top of that. I’m surprised at how many people still think we do this recreationally! I’ll go in for a job and get asked what I do for a living! It always baffles me!
Q: What inspires you to dance?
– That’s a great question. My inspiration is always changing. Right now I’m inspired by passion. It’s amazing to me that no matter how hard it gets, every time I have an opportunity to dance I meet it with so much gratitude. If I don’t have an opportunity or if I’m in between gigs, there’s a hankering and burning for it. It’s always driving me.
Q: Do you have any advice for other aspiring dancers?
– My advice for aspiring dancers is don’t take the “no’s” personally. Our work is so precious to us and private and we are typically over-protective of it and a no can be extremely heartbreaking. What I’ve learned is that a no isn’t always a rejection of your work, sometimes it means you just couldn’t fit the costume!
Check out her Instagram: @_carmen_e_jones
