We were lucky to catch up with Jestina Mundy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jestina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I was born and raised in a suburban area in Parker, Colorado. I come from a family of business owners and immigrants so, I know what hard work and taking risks looks like. My entire family has steady jobs and careers in industries they view as stable. My parents are first generation college graduates and of course expected me to go to college. Growing up, my parents had me shadow veterinarians, dentists, and doctors while allowing me to go to a public high school where I majored in dance. I have always loved dance and started dancing at the age of 3. The deal with my parents was as long as I got good grades, I could go to dance class. They always viewed dance as a hobby, but I always viewed dance as my potential career. Knowing Los Angeles has the biggest dance scene in film, I chose a college there to make my family proud. However, I graduated high school during the pandemic in 2020 and my entire first year of college was online, so I stayed in Colorado. I became worried of my finances to pay for school knowing that my mother, who is a single parent, could not afford to help me. I saw many people around me lose their jobs and shut down their businesses during this time. To help my family, I worked two jobs while going to school online. In 2021, when the campus finally opened to in-person classes, I was able to save enough money and I asked myself; what if it works out? So, I took the biggest risk of my life and moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of 19. After trying the college in person for one semester, I asked myself again; what if it works out? So, I took the second biggest risk of my life and dropped out to pursue dance full time. Despite knowing the disappointment that would come from my family, I felt it big in my heart to drop out. I have officially lived in LA, fully supporting myself, for almost two years and since then, I have signed to a dance agency-Bloc LA, I have been on a national tour, and performed in many music videos. I also continue to take courses and mentorships from those who are currently in the industry. This has been my best decision because I love dance and I feel I am serving my community and humanity better by following my heart and living in my purpose. Although it has taken time, I am grateful for the love and support my family has for me. Today, I am currently teaching dance classes to all ages and helping people express their emotions in ways words cannot describe. The biggest lesson I have learned from this risk is we only have one life and if you could fail at what you don’t like to do then you might as well try at what you love to do. So I encourage you to ask yourself: what if it works out?

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a professional dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. My goal is to inspire, entertain, and educate others on the art form of dance because 70% of communication is non-verbal and I think it is important to explore this way of communicating. I started dancing at the age of 3 and have trained in various styles of dance ranging from ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, and heels. I started dancing professionally at the age of 18 and moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of 19 to pursue commercial dance. I have danced for two contemporary companies, performed on a national tour, and danced in many music videos. I also teach regular dance classes to all ages.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A big saying I heard a lot growing up is “we can’t afford that.” After reading the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, I started to ask myself, “how can I afford that?” My parents are divorced, so I spent my teenage years living with my mom and she was a single mom who always thought about her kids first. She was always thinking about money because the business she owned didn’t provide her with the best income. Whenever we went grocery shopping or back to school shopping, I got into the habit of living a frugal life. When I was 18 years old, I came across the book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad and my mindset on this changed. I started to ask myself, “how can I afford college?” “How can I afford an apartment in LA?” “How can I afford dance classes?” I still have this mindset today and constantly ask myself “how can I afford it?” This mindset has been the reason, I no longer have student debt, I am able to afford an apartment in LA, and I am also able to support my business and my career in dance.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many rewarding aspects to being an artist and a creative. The best part is, you get to choose and create your own path. That is why you can’t compare yourself to any other person in your industry. There is no supervisor position you are competing for, there is no corporate chain to climb- it is your own path and for everyone it looks different. There is also no finish line, so there is no race. Of course, there may be a certain number of dancers a choreographer might be hiring for one job, but rejection is protection and there are so many other projects and jobs available. And if you still aren’t satisfied, you can create your own project and be your own boss. The next most rewarding aspect is the different types of people and cultures I have been exposed to. Because dance is non-verbal, I have been able to communicate with people whom I don’t speak the same verbal language as. We were able to communicate through dance and understand each other. I am truly grateful for all the experiences, people, and opportunities dance has led me to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jestinamundy?utm_source=linktree_admin_share
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jestinamundy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jestina.mundy?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jestina-mundy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMlyH5EErUSh4Z3SnOMxq5w

Image Credits
@alissarosephotography @balletzaida @alejandroalfons0