We recently connected with Kat Jones and have shared our conversation below.
Kat , 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.
I was 13 years old when I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a professional dancer. I remember the moment so vividly. It’s late at night in Long Island, New York and I’m sitting in my room, on the edge of my bed, considering the things I was good at. At the time I really enjoyed doing hair, writing plays, science and of course – dance. As I’m sifting through the possibilities of what I can do and what specialty schools I can go to, I thought about what I truly couldn’t live without. The answer was dance. My thought process then was “If I can’t live without dance, why would I choose to have a career outside of it?”. That was the moment I set my focus on dance and life within the arts. I will say however, there is a divine factor involved with knowing your calling and purpose at such a young age. Without doubt I believe God planted this gift and desire within me. Against many odds, nay-sayers, statistics and financial lulls the vision remained seared on my heart. Consistency and determination (plus some stubbornness) are supporting qualities but there are divine factors that I simply can’t deny.
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’m a translator of emotions into movement experiences. I’m a dancer, teacher and choreographer/creative director with acting experience. Currently, I’m on tour with The Weeknd in Europe but I’ve worked with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Megan Thee Stallion, Flo Milli and Blxst; Productions like The Grammys, The Oscars and BET Awards; And brands like Uber Eats, Nike, Footlocker and LuluLemon. I’ve done creative direction within my company “Find Time 2 Dance” and with black owned luxury brand “CISE”. While I am multi-faceted, I’m currently most focused on my dance goals. The most riveting thing about what I do is how I get to make other people feel. For example: watching people have their “aha!” moments in my class, seeing a fans reaction when I dance to them, the flow of energy and dedication that happens within community, bringing someone to tears with my performance, or being representation for a little black girl that wants to dance. It’s one thing to be proud of myself but when I can curate stunning moments for someone else, my cup is overfilled.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Being a well intentioned person 2. Consistency and 3. The ability to hold myself accountable. There’s so many others I want to name but they would all branch from these 3 pillars. I’ll elaborate for anyone starting out. At the heart of any industry is relationships. If you can’t foster and maintain quality, authentic connections with your peers and higher-ups, you’ll have a difficult time maintaining opportunities. People want to work with good people – period. If you know you don’t have healthy social habits or clear values, do the work to change that. Secondly, there’s people with very limited talented but much consistency that go further than the most talented person. You’ll have to work hard and sometimes long to get what you want. The ability to put one foot in front of the other regardless of circumstance will serve you well. Holding yourself accountable will help you be disciplined enough to maintain consistency and hold yourself to your values. So, when you’re acting out of alignment with your goals and values (or get distracted), you can redirect expeditiously. Some things that help me develop and sharpen these skills are my faith, books (self-help, social sciences, biographies of other entertainers) and surprisingly, social media. I followed successful people in my field and signed-up for their newsletters! I got myself a healthy friend group. Community truly is everything and good friends hold us accountable too. Lastly, I showed up for myself. If you’re not using the resources at your disposal right now, who’s to blame?
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
Remember earlier I mentioned by 13 I knew I wanted a career in dance? Well, age 14 is when I would enter high school. My parents saw my passion for dance and fought for me to get into a program that would allow me to take dance classes for the first half of my school day and primary classes the second half. It had been YEARS since my school district allowed anyone to go to Long Island High School for the Arts but my parents fought tooth and nail to get me in. They attended every board meeting, made the calls and refused every no until finally getting a yes. I began attending in 10th grade. My older sister also graduated from the same school with a focus in art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katjonesportfolio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imkatjones
Image Credits
Akilah Townsend, Valencia Free, Lindsay Rosenberg, Adam Holmgren
