Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Shea Hodge. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Amber Shea with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my work ethic from when I was a kid. My father was a car mechanic and fisherman and his goal was to raise hard-working kids. That meant that I became his first deckhand at age nine and received my first job outside of my family at age 11, as a banquet server. As I grew older I was able to expand my interests and the hard work mentality strengthened as well. I became increasingly interested in dance, singing, and performing at a very young age, and I was fortunate to already have the strong work ethic to push me to succeed.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Hi there! My name is Amber, and storytelling is the best way to describe what I do. Whether it’s hilarious, tragic, joyful, or thought-provoking, I always hope to entice the audience or viewer into a different reality for a second. My passion for the arts and performing started when I realized that my forever home was on stage. I began singing and dancing at age seven and acting followed a few years later. Community theatre and voice lessons snowballed into a lifetime love for the performing arts.
Currently, I am a full-time dance teacher and choreographer for multiple school districts, and an actor for theatres all around Southern California. I get to teach children ages 4-13 in many different dance styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop, and also teach musical theatre and basic gymnastics. I absolutely love working with kids and watching them get excited about dance. As a result, oftentimes they want to help with the creation of the choreography. I am incredibly grateful to be a part of so many storytellers in the making.
When I’m not teaching, I’m always in a show in one way or another. I just closed Circle Mirror Transformation at the Santa Paula Theatre Center and I will be in another show there this January. I also was in shows at The Elite Theatre Company and the Ojai Art Center Theater this year. I’m looking forward to auditioning in L.A. more since I’m soon heading there permanently.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Through my many years in theatre and performing, there have been several pieces of advice and qualities that I have kept in mind. The first is versatility. The more you know and the more you can do, the better. Knowledge and flexibility play such a huge role in your ability to be castable. This industry is so fast-paced and difficult to get your foot in the door that it can become overwhelming very quickly. The more you have to show, the better. The second is resilience. Again, the performing world is extremely tough and for each “yes” there are one hundred “no’s.” You cannot let that halt your journey. You have something to give that is unique— you just have to wait for the right audience to cheer you on.
Lastly, and I believe the most important, is rest. If you aren’t able to live outside of your craft, then your view will be limited. Rest is important because your body and mind need time to heal before you throw yourself into the next show or project. Trust me, I am the king of running from one thing to the next, but every time I do that my body will shut down and force me to get the relaxation that I (and everyone) deserve.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I feel very passionately that everyone should diversify their skillset and widen their perspective. I have tried to learn a new trade or ability every year. If you want to have a broad outlook, you have to go beyond what you already know and be open to understanding different viewpoints. Even though my lifelong dream is to be a successful actor, I have been a nanny, sous chef, property manager, caterer, office assistant, kids camp supervisor and dance teacher. Part of why I have had so many jobs is because I am always looking for a different skill to learn. I also have ADHD and that has really helped fuel my love for experiencing new challenges. If I start to lose interest or I feel as if I have learned as much as I can understand, I move on to another area that interests me. I’m only 20 and I know that I already have so many things to fall back on. I am such a strong believer that the more you know the better it will be for every area of your life, and especially the arts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ambersheahodge.wixsite.com/ambersheahodge/home-1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambersheahodge/
Image Credits
Hayley Silvers, Ezra Eells
