We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cammie Tolleshaug. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cammie below.

Cammie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I will forever be a student. I don’t believe there is a level of mastery that exists where I would feel content and satisfied with my art. The desire to constantly improve is innate because the more you push your limits and grow, the more you realize what else you can accomplish.

As a dancer, there is no ceiling.

I’ve always felt behind because many dancers start when they are 3-5 years old. Although I was still young, I started dancing at 10 and I only trained in hip-hop. I was never interested in ballet or jazz, but these styles have techniques that are used in every form of dance and are practically essential to any professional. To lack the foundations of ballet has definitely made my journey a lot more difficult, but I’ve tried to stay true to knowing my gifts and watering those over the years.

Sometimes it’s difficult to decide if you should focus your energy on your weaknesses or your strengths. Both can be very beneficial. One on hand, to be versatile or well rounded means you are more likely to have job security because you can book all different types of roles. It’s always handy to have a lot of tools in your tool box. However, if you work really hard at what you’re already good at, you can become the best at THAT. Undeniable.

I am my own business, so I am in charge of knowing how to brand myself. To be very strong in one area makes someone easily marketable because you know exactly where this person will thrive and be the perfect fit. I am still looking for my “perfect fit” job, but I’ve been learning how to celebrate and nourish what makes me special. Especially because swimming up stream, going against the grain, etc. is exhausting. Compatibility does not only exist in relationships, but also careers.

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?

Aside from being a professional dancer, I am also a choreographer and instructor. I dance for artists on stage, in music videos, and occasionally on TV. When I’m not performing, I teach dance classes to all different levels of students. I really enjoy working with artists one-on-one as a movement coach, but the most satisfying is when I get to be creative and bring my own visions to life.

I’m a very detail oriented person, so I am often thinking of the bigger picture. How will the audience perceive this? Will it read? My goal when choreographing is to always focus on what will be effective. Sometimes less is more, and I personally will always prefer a tight, clean group of dancers to a group that’s messy and doing the most. But each job is different, so I also know how to adapt when performance and energy is the priority.

I’m not the dancer who is pushing the envelope in an avant-garde way, but my ideas tend to be very ambitious. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. One thing that has always been true to me is that I will see the potential in a project and I will never let my clients, my dancers, or myself settle and not try our hardest to reach that potential. And on the off chance we reach it, then we keep striving for more. Usually I feel very silly with the visions in my head and the random, crazy concepts I come up with. So the more people I work with that are down for the bits, the more motivated I am to keep creating and sharing my goofy notions.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the best part about art is getting inspired, and so the end goal of sharing your own art is to hopefully inspire others. To know that what I create moved someone is all I could ask for. Whether it’s with hope, humor, motivation, reflection, gratitude, etc. Art is a ripple effect.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Being a creative results in a very colorful life. It’s never boring, but it’s almost never consistent or stable. If our life ever becomes too routine, then the monotony will just be overshadowed by a mind bursting at the seams with new ideas. At rest we can be inspired by the smallest aspect of life. Just as easy as it is to be excited and stimulated though, we can become equally depleted. What I believe non-creatives may lack is the depth of emotional experience that comes with being an artist. The mind goes everywhere, and the feelings are rich and extreme. The highs are so blissful but the lows are devastating lows. Although not every artist is mentally ill, I do believe artists are much more susceptible to mental health disorders because of the wiring of our brains, as well as the vulnerability in our self expression.

As a society we like to mask our negative feelings, yet to bury them and not participate in art means to miss out on knowing the soul.

The rollercoaster can be a little unbearable at times, and every now and then I envy the normal life others live. However, I was never meant to live “traditionally”. I always come back to the analogy of a sunset — what makes a sunset so breathtaking is the contrast in colors. A blue sky is nice, but the deep oranges and pinks are unforgettable. In my life I am painting with all the colors, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cambam0_o/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cammietolleshaug6455

Image Credits

@neoncometmedia, @jhotophoto, @photosbydutches