Meet Lillian Smith

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lillian Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lillian, 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.

For me, like most dancers, confidence and positive self esteem can be difficult qualities to maintain. There have been times I’ve been told I wasn’t thin enough or didn’t have the right “dancer body.” When I was younger especially my teenage years, I really let comments like these get to me, to the point where I’ve questioned if ballet was something worth continuing. If it was ever really going to be in the cards for me. Eventually I realized that at its core, without the pressures and societal expectations of a dancer, without all the extra noise coming from coaches or even from myself, that I loved ballet. It was important to me that I never let anyone take the joy of dance away from me. To stay positive in the studio and in my daily life, I focus on the fact that I love to dance. It sounds like a simple answer but choosing everyday to actively grow my creativity and artistry, instead of nitpicking my imperfections grows my self confidence. Finding and nurturing what makes me special instead comparing myself to others has made me a better artist. At the end of the day I realized ballet is is for me, and I dance for myself.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a ballet dancer, choreographer and director from Teaneck, NJ. I am a current NYC based freelance dancer and have performed professionally with Hudson Ballet Theatre, CityDance NY, Chevalier Ballet, Jacob Taylor Dance and When Waves Collide. I also am growing increasingly interested in choreography and have now choreographed for the BalletMet trainee ensemble, CityDance NY, Greenspace. In addition to choreography I have also movement directed for film and theater projects including Charles in his Office and The Nymphs. My most exciting and recent news is that I am currently launching a new contemporary ballet dance company, Smith & Co. Founded by myself and the dancers, we aim to bring unforgettable performances that inspire, challenge, and captivate. Our upcoming shows are in April and May at New Wave Dance Fest and Extensions Dance Project!

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?

Perseverance, confidence and sacrifice have all been qualities important for me on my journey. There was a time in my life where I didn’t have anywhere to dance for the following year. After working so hard on ballet for so many years the path in front of me was unclear. I felt like no one was giving me the chance however, I have never been the type of person to let someone else tell me when to give up. I always want it to be my choice when I walk away from something, this has made me someone who puts perseverance above all else. If I want to continue I will always find a way to make it happen. To those trying to make it in a creative field, always have the confidence to put yourself in a room, you belong there!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

As a young dancer I always assumed my career would involve me joining a small or medium sized regional ballet company as a ballet dancer and that’s it. For a long time this was all that I wanted but since starting my professional career in New York City I’ve come to realize that the possibilities for me as an artist are unlimited! So getting out of my comfort zone and finding projects where I can work on my acting through dancing, or even take on a new role, either as a choreographer or movement director are particularly exciting. I always welcome collaboration and can always be reached at my email lilliancharlotte1303@gmail.com or on instagram! @_loyin @smithandco.ny

Contact Info:

• Website: lilliancsmith
• Instagram: _loyin

Image Credits

Erica Maclean, Hisae Aihara, Tisa Velope