We recently had the chance to connect with Lindsey L Miller and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lindsey L , thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
From my experience, it seems that everyone, especially artists, suffers from imposter syndrome. No matter how much training or experience one receives, there is always the illusion that what we offer the world and who we are could be improved or more impressive. However, the bravest thing we can do as humans is show up daily as who we are and offer the world our most authentic self. The truth is that we are all always a work in progress, but all of the stages of that process deserve to be seen and celebrated.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Born and raised in Normal, IL, I am now a NYC-based dancer, choreographer, teacher, and wellness professional. I am the founder and artistic director of LLMoves, which is a dance company I created in 2013 to house my creative dance projects. I am currently working towards several new pieces of choreography to premiere this year and early next year. I teach dance, yoga, meditation, and fitness around the city, and also create wellness programming and content under my company, Sky Grounding Wellness. SGW provides a variety of classes for corporate organizations and special events. I am currently working on facilitating sound healing and somatic practice workshops geared to help performing artists with the unique challenges we all face in that industry. I am passionate about cultivating tools and community that help us all have a healthier mind-body connections and coping skills to deal with the stress of the world.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Growing up training in classical dance styles of ballet and modern dance, I developed a perfectionist attitude towards myself as a dancer and also in most endeavors I took on. While this perfectionism may have helped motivate me to learn and grow as much as possible in my formative years, it has often become a roadblock for my creative process now. I have learned that a lot of the most authentic and moving art that I have been able to create came from a place of being present and releasing expectations and judgements of myself and my art. By consciously releasing my need to seek perfection, I have been able to work more spontaneously and freely, which ultimately creates more relatable art. Perfection simply does not exist, While it might have been a driving force of motivation for certain stages of my life, it is something I must release to find my truest expression of self.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering in life is inevitable. And rejection is prevalent part of the performing arts industry. It is nearly impossible to not let many, many failures and rejections affect your self esteem, but persevering through those downfalls is a skill I have had to develop in order to exist in my chosen career. Nonetheless, suffering has shown me time and time again how deeply strong and resilient I am. Furthermore, facing rejections forces you to look inside yourself repeatedly and discover what is truly important to you. I have learned to refine what my dream life continuously throughout my life and focus in on what truly brings me joy. Through the suffering, I have been able to identify that creating art and dance is the most important goal for me, and finding spaces and people who make that process enjoyable is the dream. While it has been painful to let go of how I thought things might look for my career and my life, all of the suffering has lead me away from environments that do not truly see my worth and towards places I will thrive.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version the majority of people see of me is a real facet of my personality, but it often does not reflect my full complexity as a human. Especially when I am in the front of a room teaching, speaking about my expertises, or performing, I find that it serves me and my audiences best to show up as my most positive, powerful self. But underneath all of my positive energy, there is a very vulnerable, emotional person. I have experienced much deep grief and sadness throughout my life, but I do not often find places that feel safe and appropriate to share that part of my personality and story. Different situations and people bring out slightly different versions of everyone’s personalities. Our real self is fluid and dependent on so many factors. I am constantly trying to strip away the parts of myself that may have developed as coping mechanisms to deal with the world and facades to be who I thought I needed to be. As a dancer, I strive to find opportunities to express my most authentic self through my art. The deepest honor on stage is to express such a vulnerable version of yourself that you are able to resonate with your audience on a emotional level and help them process their own life experiences.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace in an empty dance studio. No distractions and just the space to move freely without judgement. I feel most alive when dancing. The luxury of being able to spend time finding true expression through movement is what I feel most grateful for in my human experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lindseylmiller.com; www.llmoves.com; www.skygroundingwellness.com
- Instagram: @lindseylmill @llmoves @skygroundingwellness
Image Credits
Exquisite Colors Photography, Hokucreative, Bjorn Bolinder
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