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

Josie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My mom played a huge role in my dance career. As an immigrant and non-native English speaker, I know she went through many hardships while raising me. This led me to be extremely independent, never wanting her to feel that she was incapable or had let me down, but only now do I realize how much her support actually taught me.

There was one moment in particular when I was feeling burned out and disappointed in my skills that I’ll never forget. I wanted to quit dancing for good in the middle of the season because I felt inferior to amazing dancers my age that I saw on social media. I was in high school so under the excuse of “focusing on college” I told my mom I didn’t love it anymore. My mom wasn’t a typical “dance mom” as she wasn;t a dancer, artist, or athlete so I tried not to go to her for advice about dance. Yet she saw through me and said, “termina lo que comenzaste.” Finish what you started. The conversation led to her asking me why I started in the first place and eventually helped me push through the funk. That’s when I realized I wanted to study dance in university and understand dance outside the context of choreography and competition.

My mom is the one who taught me that dance is a universal language and a safe place for those who don’t have the words to say what they feel. Now living in Japan where I’m not a native speaker of the language and on my own, I think of my mom often and that gives me strength to teach my students every day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a dancer, choreographer, educator, and actress based in Dallas, Texas, currently living in Japan. As a first generation Panamanian-American living in the US, I have often felt pressure to please those around me. A constant narrative I believed growing up was to not stand out but also to not be overlooked. Never be too bold but also not too timid. This is often the case for many children of immigrants who struggle with their cultural identity. Thankfully, I found the Dallas dance community to be a space where I could be authentically me.

I am hopeful that I can contribute to this community by sharing my story and exchanging knowledge with those around me. Whether I am freestyling and training with other dancers, coaching students in the dance studio, or working on concept videos and independent projects, my artistic career is meant to encourage other young creatives to bring people together to create, share, and heal. My journey is one of many that shows others that cultural diversity and adversity should never instill fear, but instead strength to be authentic and honest about who you are and where you come from. This is how art and movement will continue to be a universal language that connects people to themselves and those around them.

I look forward to continuing on this path of growth and expanding my reach by traveling and exchanging with movers around the world. I hope to meet other movers and artists along the way, giving back to the community all that I learn.

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

Many dancers who grew up in the world of competitive dance or studio dance often feel burned out and lose their passion for dance by the time they go to college. While putting in the hours and training with like-minded people from a young age can help set a strong foundation, it can also form bad habits.

I became a perfectionist because I thought I was being a “smart dancer”. I learned how to copy, blend, and ultimately satisfy the choreographer to the point where I was no longer creative but insecure. While I could predict what the choreographer wanted to express in the music or practice my technique for hours until I could execute a routine to my standards, I ended up having little patience with myself and no confidence or space to explore my own movement. I had sacrificed my originality, inhibiting my authentic expression and overall creativity.

However, after 15 years of competing, quitting, researching, and re-entering the world of dance through freestyle, I think I’d have to say that overcoming the perfectionist mindset has helped me more than I expected. I now understand my movement, my learning preferences, and my teaching preferences because of the self-reflection and discovery required when you freestyle. Having come back to dance and accepted myself, my mistakes, and what makes me different, I’ve also grown as an educator and strive to enable my students to accept their differences, originality, and hardships as strengths.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had the honor to learn from and dance for Kim Elliot in 2022, one month before her passing. At the time, I was double majoring in Dance and Linguistics because of my interests in communicating with people from all over the world. I struggled between whether or not to pursue dance full-time upon graduating from university. I thought that if I became an instructor, I would have more stability at the cost of less opportunities to travel and perform whereas if I became a performer, I would be unable to maintain a healthy work-life balance and grow discontent. I was three months from finishing school when I met Kim.

You could feel her warm, bright energy when she walked in a room. You could sense her genuine desire for you to reach your fullest potential. She pushed you to be your most authentic self because of how bold, confident, and joyful she was herself. She was a New York native well-versed in many genres but specialized in hip-hop with an emphasis in the history and roots of hip-hop culture. Her number focused on identity and self-affirmations using hip-hop, whacking, jazz-funk, and West-African styles to choreograph one of her last pieces. Through my time working with Kim, she encouraged me to truly believe that I am a dancer regardless of my occupation. Whether I choose to be a commercial dancer, studio instructor, or freestyler who sessions on my own time, thanks to Kim, I can firmly say I am a dancer, artist, and creative.

No matter where I end up, I will always listen and respond to music. I will always appreciate movement and art. I think this truth was difficult for me to believe at first because I was set on traditional paths post-grad instead of trusting my passion and community. I am now living abroad, learning a new language, and meeting new dancers and creatives as an educator because I chose to stand firm in my passion for dance and decide that there was no right or wrong choice. I will always be grateful to Kim for being herself, sharing her wisdom, and giving me the space to reaffirm who I am and my place in the dance community.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @josiearsenio