Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ameia Mikula-Noble. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ameia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

The biggest and most unexpected challenge I faced in dance was learning how to create and show my own work. Stage fright was not something I struggled with, I have always loved performing in front of people. As a child, I would put on shows for my friends and family; playing the piano, singing, and dancing. The caveat was that everything I performed was already made. Famous composers, pop artists, and even friends had laid the groundwork for my performances.
It wasn’t until I was at a Juilliard summer intensive that I was asked to do something new: improvise and make my own work to show the class. It was just a regular class, not a performance, not a test, but I completely froze. This was a skill I never practiced. One I had done maybe three other times, and certainly not in front of people who very clearly have done this before. I wasn’t used to my own creations being judged.
I already knew that my fight or flight response is to freeze, but it never hit me as hard as it did then. Paralyzed by fear, my brain completely shut down.
After that experience, I was determined to never let myself be in a situation like that again. It was a gradual process, one that only truly began to progress during my time at NYU Tisch. There, I was introduced to a variety of contemporary styles and took many improv based classes that helped me feel comfortable letting my mind relax and not overthink every movement.
I was also surrounded by peers who were actively creating their own work. Watching their creation processes showed me that choreographing wasn’t as daunting as I had initially thought, and I started feeling more comfortable creating as well.
The first time I performed a solo I choreographed myself, I almost ran away backstage. I felt all kinds of terror and absolute dread, and even after performing, I wanted to run away and hide. I’m proud to say that I have redeemed my panic-stricken self this past December when I created another solo on myself and performed it.
Both Improvisation and choreography are still skills I’m building confidence in, but they’re no longer skills I actively shy away from, which is a huge step forward from before. Now, one of my biggest goals is a choreographic project.

Ameia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My parents put me in ballet when I was 3. They often laugh about the time they asked how my first class went, and I responded, “It was okay, but that’s enough.” They then had to tell me I was signed up for the rest of the year, which led to a cycle of me dreading class all year, only to return again because of my passion for performing. I would endure the long 1 hour of class once a week, just for a few minutes on stage under the bright lights.
Ballet was my starting point, but I soon discovered hip-hop. Eventually, I didn’t want to do ballet anymore and decided to quit. The teacher literally chased me down after one of my hip-hop classes and begged me to join ballet again. I begrudgingly agreed, but only because I was being put in a different class, a harder one. The new class challenged and inspired me, and once my interest was sparked, I pushed myself to develop my skills and improve.
I accomplished many things I am proud of: I competed in many competitions growing up and have won numerous trophies and scholarships, I attended summer intensives at The Ailey School and Juilliard, I got my undergraduate degree from NYU Tisch, graduating Cum Laude with a major in dance and minor in creative writing, and I’m currently training and performing with Boston Dance Theater (BDT). With BDT I have had the opportunity to perform at the Ailey Citigroup Theater and The Rex Theater. That said, I’m most proud of the show Again Again, which I choreographed and performed in this past December.
That performance is particularly special to me because it was the first time I combined my skills for a single project. Alongside dance, I’ve studied classical piano since I was 3. I grew up competing in piano competitions even before I began competing in dance, and have my Grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music certificate. My music training has greatly informed my musicality and deepened my understanding of the music I dance to. Additionally, I am a writer and have written numerous short stories for competitions. I also published a novel when I was in grade 11. Another unique skill I possess is Taekwondo. I’m a 1st Dan Black Belt, and that training has definitely influenced my personal dance and choreographic style.
For the show, I choreographed a trio of solos based on a character I wrote, and collaborated with a musician to create the music. My ultimate goal is to create an evening-length show based on a story I develop. It’s an ambitious project, but I want to use my unique blend of skills to create a story people can be invested in.
For me, every performance is an opportunity to create something meaningful for the audience. I want to continue expanding my craft and share the magic of storytelling in all its forms.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Storytelling is the driving goal of all my creative interests. Growing up, dancing and music were my main creative outlets. I was always drawn to more theatrical piano pieces like The Cat and The Mouse by Aaron Copland or Dance of the Marionettes by Mario Tarenghi. With dance, my favourite pieces were ones where I performed as a character like Clara from The Nutcracker or Jane Eyre. I loved taking the audience on a journey with me. When I got older, I started writing stories and published a novel, Thirteen.
Writing stories was something that really surprised my parents because I had never been one to casually write or journal, but I didn’t question why I suddenly had an interest in writing until I was writing my common application essay for universities. I was prompted to think about the thread that connects all my interests, and that is when I realized they all involved creating and sharing stories.
Looking back on my childhood with a storytelling lens, it’s clear that it’s always been a significant part of who I am. I loved reading – I still do, but it was an obsession when I was younger. I would binge entire series’ in a matter of weeks and then re-read them countless times, trying to remember what it was like reading them for the first time. I also created plotlines with my sister and we would act them out with stuffed animals. We gave them names, personalities, and complete backstories.
Creating and sharing stories became the foundation from which my passions grew. I love experiencing the emotions and journeys in the books I read, and my desire to evoke the same feeling in others manifests through my dance, choreography, and writing.

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

I grew up in a very academic environment. My mother is a university instructor and my father is a lawyer, both are extremely well respected in their fields. On top of that, I went to a very academic, university prep school where intelligence was the social currency. I was a good student, I got good grades, and once I got over my dislike for dance and started investing more time and effort, I also had a successful extra curricular activity. I was on the right track to get into any university I wanted, but for science.
As much as I loved dance and respected those who pursued the arts, I only ever saw it as a hobby for myself. Everyone around me was focused heavily on maths and sciences, I wanted to be just like them.
I was able to juggle both dance and school for a while, but they both were steadily becoming more demanding of my time. It all came to a head when I was 14. That year I started a half-day program at my dance school that required me to leave school at noon every other day. Missing 20% of my classes proved quite challenging to keep the same grades I had. I never used to be the student that was lost in class, but suddenly I was always a lesson behind and it was infuriating. It’s much harder to notice improvement with dance, so all I could see was myself slipping behind my classmates. It was painfully clear that I couldn’t do both dance and school at the extreme levels I wanted, I had to choose one.
They knew I saw dance as an extracurricular activity while school was my main focus, and they suspected I might pull back from dance. They wanted to offer me some advice—they didn’t want me to give up something that made me happy just because I was focused on only one path. My dad said “you can always go back to school, but you can’t as easily go back to dance.”
The saying, ‘life is short’ works for many instances, but not in my particular one. My parents reminded me that life is long. It’s not a race to do everything in the first thirty years. Take all the opportunities you can get so you don’t regret missing them.
Once I pivoted to prioritizing my dance, everything fell more comfortably into place. I explained to my teachers that missing school for dance was important for my future, and they became more understanding, and more time in the studio allowed me to better my technique.
After high school, I went to NYU Tisch where I was able to pursue my dance career while maintaining my academic foundation. I graduated cum laude with a Major in Dance and a Minor in Creative Writing. I’m incredibly grateful to my parents for giving me perspective and always supporting me. Now I’m training and performing with Boston Dance Theater and am excited for what comes next.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ameiamikulanoble.com
• Instagram: Ameia_mmn
• Linkedin: Ameia Mikula-Noble

Image Credits

The studio dance photos (white leotard and black top & bottom outfit) were taken by Rachel Nevill Studios, the stage photo (white pants and green top) was taken by Liv Lopez, and the Taekwondo photo was taken as part of NYU’s TKD club.