Meet Adam Mr Parson

We were lucky to catch up with Adam Mr Parson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Adam Mr, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I think confidence and self esteem are an ongoing development. A lot of the development came from watching my mother sing. When she sang, her heart was open. Observing that as a young kid put me in awe of her, and what confidence and self esteem looked like. My father was a race car drive in Africa. It goes without saying the confidence and self esteem to navigate the treacherous dips and curves of a dirt road at speeds over 90mph doesnt get overlooked. I was mesmerized by my father and how he braved this competition. I had strong role models of what confidence and self esteem look like and have carried in on to my career. That doesn’t mean that it doesnt get rocked, because It sure did when I was a dancer trying to make it in LA.
“Sorry, you’re too short”
“Sorry, you’re not the right type”
“Sorry, we already have someone like you”
Those statement made me question my confidence and self esteem.
“Maybe I’m not the right person to do this kind of- ”
“SHUT UP AND FOCUS! Everyone has their own set of fears and lack of self esteem, don’t take theirs on!”
My spirit reminds me that in challenging times of life that I matter. No matter what. I matter.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I was born in Nairobi, Kenya and moved to the U.S at 15. I was very interested in culinary art, languages and computers. After school, I ended up working in Georgetown, Washington D.C. as a computer systems analyst, but ultimate plan was a top pastry school in Austria.(or so I thought). One day, my sister asked me to drive her friend to dance class, which I did. When we got there I heard a “thump thump thump”
of bass coming out of the dance studio, and went in to look. My jaw dropped. I saw these humans moving, turning and jumping all in unison, fully immersed in the drive of the music. I had no idea people could move like this. Sure, I’d seen people dancing before, but not like this. What I saw changed my life. Literally. At 26 years old, I left a lucrative job with a prestigious firm in Georgetown, dropped my plans of becoming a pastry chef and took dance training head on, thriving under the guidance of my dance teacher, Terry Peyton. She was another person who instilled confidence and self esteem. Most people(not my parents) were saying it was too late for me to become a dancer, making me doubt myself.. Terry said, “Adam, are you dancing for them or are you dancing for you?” 35 years later, I’ve made a successful career as a dancer, choreographer and director. I’m also the Artistic Director of my dance company, Commonality. It’s also lead me to become a writer, film editor and FAA licensed drone operator!

Ok, this will sound cheesy if you haven’t experienced it, but dance is a conduit to your soul. It helps get you back to YOU. You know, when you feel wholly yourself. There are plenty ways to access your soul, such as:
– Watching your 1 year-old nephew see a ferris wheel for the first time.
– Sitting in a boat in the middle of a lake with no one else around.
– Your dog coming up and staring lovingly at you. (even after he’s been been fed and walked.)
– Seeing a long lost friend after several years.
– Sitting on the top of a mountain watching the sunset over the ocean.
For me dance is the conduit. But not just for me. As a choreographer, I’ve been able to create work that speaks to people in a way they didn’t know were possible. I can say so many things with dance that correlate with the human experience. As a company director with the most amazing dancers with so many varied traits (black, white, tall, short gay, straight, trans, American, Australia, Japanese, Mexican, etc) I’ve seen audience members light up seeing a version on themselves onstage. Dance is able to connect ourselves and people who view us being ourselves. The best compliment I received about the company was when a man walked up to me and said this:
“You know, I’m a big old beef eatin’, beer drinkin’ firefighter, and I absolutely did not want to come to your show, but my wife dragged me”
“What did you think?”
“Your dancers made me cry, laugh, get angry, be happy and most importantly, you made me think. You made me experience my life in 1 1/2 hours. I’m a fan now. I’ll be exploring more art in my life”
That’s why I do what I do.

I teach around the world and absolutely love it. I get to experience dance in different cultures, eat new foods, and explore new places. I have Intermediate/Advanced classes in Los Angeles and teach to who ever comes class. From the advanced professional, the recreational dancer or the celebrity(I have several such students) who used to dance and just misses it, all are welcome!
I’m currently working on a dance newsletter(coming soon!) as well as video production with my drone company.

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?

The top three qualities for my journey have been:
1. Communication – It’s important to be able to speak to all kinds of people, see them for who they are and relate in a way that shows understanding.

2. Curiosity. – I love learning and growing. Not just dance related media and material. I think its important to learn a language to understand a reasoning of something. Or know what a 5 year-old dancer mind is thinking when it’s developing. Or why my dog does the crazy things he does. Or why the opposite party believes what they believe. This all contributes to keep my mind constantly active.

3. Travel. You learn about yourself when you move outside your comfort zone. The way people live their lives outside of the U.S. can give you true perspective, clarity and experience about yourself. Travel without taking your expectations of a place. The more you can identify with your fellow humans on this plante, the better you’ll be.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

My biggest obstacle is time management. I’m working on that. I have so many things in my head that I want to do but get “stuck.” Sometimes I’ll be researching for a project and go on line for information. The next thing you know, I’ve bought something on Amazon, liked 70 videos on Instagram, found a curiosity on instagram which takes me back to researching that curiosity, and before you know it, 3 hours are gone! I’m learning to have pen and paper next to me to jot down the things I that come to my mind and review it later.. It helps me manage my insatiable need for knowledge and keep me on track with what I need to do .

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adamparson.com
• Instagram: @adamparson
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adam.parson/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Adamparson

Image Credits

Monica Orozco
Tim Agler