We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Carrizo Performer & Creative Director. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley Carrizo below.

Hi Ashley Carrizo, thanks for joining us today. Is there a lesson you learned in school that’s stuck with you and has meaningfully impacted your journey?

Since childhood I always would say I wanted to be a performer. I began dancing at the age of two and continued through high school into college. Growing up because I was so in love with dance, it was all I thought about. When I was in elementary school one of my dance studios used to take us to a convention in NYC. It was a weekend event where we took classes from all different teachers/dancers across the country. It gave younger dancers a chance to see what other styles and teachers are like outside of our home studios. The weekend was an event I anticipated every year especially for the last day that I could audition for the assistant protege team. The convention offered a program for exceptionally advanced dancers an opportunity to travel with the company. This audition to be in this program happened on the last day of the convention. At my home studio I was doing exceptionally well, getting spots in the front line, solo parts, advancing my skills at a fast pace. I thought I was on top of the world. I first auditioned in sixth grade, eleven year old me was ready. I thought this is it I will make it and travel the world. I was cut immediately after the ballet across the floor combination and I was so disappointed. It was my first experience of rejection in the dance industry. I remember it clearly to this day because I was so shocked, I only knew my studio I wasn’t thinking of the other dancers that were advancing at the same level as myself in other states. I questioned why not me? What did I do wrong? Am I not good enough? It sounds traumatic for a child but unfortunately in the performing business it is second nature. In the grand scheme of things it was an impactful lesson to have the reality check. When I was cut at the convention it was a realization I still need to work hard and advance my skills. I am glad it happened and at a young age because I went back to my home studio that year and there was a fire lit inside me to keep working on my craft.

Ashley Carrizo, 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?

I am an actor, dancer, choreographer, and newly creative director. I began dancing at the age of two and continue to dance and choreograph. I also perform improv, as well as write and act in a sketch comedy group in NYC. If I had to label myself I would say I’m a multi hyphenated creative. I began in the arts with dancing and now I’ve moved towards acting, and creating more behind the camera. I got into this industry right after completing college at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. They prepared me for the dance and acting world for sure. It wasn’t until this past year that I really immersed my love for creative directing and creating short films. In the dance world choreographers create dance concept videos to display their choreography. I wanted to do that, but I wanted to tell stories on camera too. In April my colleague and I got together to create our first short dance film. I performed, choreographed, and directed it. It was a solo performance but the story is what took precedent. This film was accepted into numerous dance films and won two “Best Performances” awards. So far has been my proudest moment. We took a chance with an idea our first time around had great success. Not even two months later we created another dance film with twenty dancers. I was ecstatic so many dancers were willing and excited to be apart of this project and it became another great success. I hope to keep creating stories through short films and eventually work with brands on commercials and so on.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I knew earlier how to go about making connections and working with agencies as a dancer. I feel in college they prepared me as best as they could but it was to social aspect and doing the work for yourself even if you “made it.” For example, in college my dance training was top tier there was no denying that. The performance opportunities were great and so on. However, we were under the impression when we got out of school, audition and get represented by and agent. I did just this. Here’s the problem, we never were taught the work doesn’t stop there. I wish I knew that when you get an agent you still need to submit yourself for projects, create your own work, make your own connections. This is a hard lesson I learned right out of school. Also, building that relationship with your agent to be able to talk about what jobs you want to go for and how to attain them. If I had to choose one specific “resource” I wish I knew about on my journey it would be navigating the industry even after if you “made it.”

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Being able to fully support myself through the arts is my mission driving my creative journey. With that being said my biggest goal is to perform on a weekly basis on Saturday Night Live, and constantly work on films/TV. If I could work and create for a living full time in any medium I would be more than ecstatic about that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleycarrizo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashcarrizo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ashleycarrizo626
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashcarrizo626

Image Credits

Howard Schatz
Alexa Ruggiero