Meet Arielle Dettmer

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Arielle Dettmer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Arielle, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
After booking my dream job in 2022, I thought I solidified that my purpose was to be a dancer. When I was 16, all I dreamt about was dancing on the Marvelous Mrs.Maisel. I had a severe back injury that left me thinking I could never dance again, so the dream started to slowly disappear. Fast forward 3 years, and I got the email that I booked the biggest dance episode on the final season. I moved to NYC for a month, danced alongside some amazing dancers, and got to work with Marguerite Derricks and her amazing team. I thought I had found my purpose, but I came home still feeling lost.

I’ve been teaching dance since I was 16, and was on faculty at a studio during the time I filmed Maisel. When I got back, I got offered a short theatre contract, but I was still teaching at the studio. After the contract wrapped, I found myself fully engulfed in my teaching. I spent months not wishing I was doing more in the industry and discovering that my purpose was within education.

Granted, I still love performing. After Maisel, I went on to do 3 more musicals at regional theatres. I love performing for a live audience as much as I love teaching, but at the end of the day what fuels my heart and leaves me fulfilled is teaching.

With teaching, I get to help develop each student to their highest potential. Some of my students want to dance into adulthood, and others just love it for now. To know I get to have a little part of their journey and help mentor them in the right direction is more than I could ask for.

In a world full of social media, it can be easy to think that you need to follow the masses to find your purpose. I spent the past 2 years doing that, but all it did was cloud my reality. I think finding your purpose is discovering who you truly are at your core. Once I took the time to reflect on the inside, that’s where I was able to find what I wanted on the outside.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My upbringing as a dancer has set in motion my life as a creative. From digital art to movement art, my life is entangled in it all.

I started dancing when I was 2 and competitively dancing when I was 7. I loved performing so much that I started dancing professionally at 11. My first professional job was with Debbie Allen in her original musical “Brothers of the Knight”. Shortly after I started my education at Orange County School of the Arts where I graduated from in 2020 from the Commercial Dance Program.

In addition to Commercial Dance, I studied dance science, film, photography, acting, and vocal. I graduated during the start of a global pandemic which made the next year an interesting journey. In 2021, I started dancing professionally again, after taking a gap year from my studies to become a doctor for dancers.

My pathway has been anything but linear. In high school, I was always the one who was sure of what she wanted. Even if it changed, I was head-fast in what I wanted out of life. Once I decided to take a gap year, that’s when I got a reality check that there isn’t one perfect pathway to achieve your goals. It’s a constant rollercoaster filled with ups and downs yet moments of calm.

Now, I consider myself a movement artist and educator. Being a movement artist, to me, ranges from theatre to film/TV to choreography. I’ve learned from some amazing mentors that there’s so much more to “being a dancer” than we give ourselves credit for. As a movement artist, my greatest passion is theatre.

Beyond my love for performing is my life’s purpose to educate. I love teaching dance more than anything, and I plan to pursue teaching it at a collegiate level.

I also own a digital services company, The 951 Creative that offers a variety of services, such as photography, social media management, and UGC for companies.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Flexibility, Communication, and Business.

Being an artist you need all of these things. Developing skills is all about trial and error. I’ve made business mistakes by not advocating for myself on a job, and now I won’t ever make that mistake again. More than anything, it’s about taking risks and reflecting on them so you know how to proceed in the future.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I feel so blessed to have two parents who modeled hard work and persistence.

My Mom is originally from Thailand and she is the hardest worker I know. She started her own business when she came here and would work day and night sewing dance wear and costumes. If I learned that anything is possible, it’s from her taking my poorly drawn designs and turning them into beautiful dance costumes.

My Dad on the other hand is the one who taught me to never give up. I’ll never forget…. I was about 8 years old and I was so frustrated with competitive dance. I told him I wanted to quit, because I didn’t feel as talented as the other girls who always won. He sat me down and said “No, you’re not going to give up. You may not feel like you’re shining right now, but you have a star quality that can’t go dim.”. I didn’t understand fully in that moment, but those words stay with me everyday.

Even when I made mistakes, my parents gave me unconditional love and support. They sometimes didn’t agree with my decisions, but they were always in my corner whenever I needed them to lift me up.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
OC Register Jason Niedle Silvia Miranda Mati Ficara

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