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

Alright, Darion thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Ever since I was young I would always dance around the house, at family gatherings but I Never paid too much attention to it because I would get talked about by my family members at times. then in my duel language charter elementary school (unidos) one of my teacher Ms.Lee decided to start a step team. I was very eager to start practicing I asked my grandmother and it was an immediate yes! I was the on the team for 2 years then when I went to middle school I transferred to a brand new performing arts school in Clayton county called Utopian academy for the arts. we had our orientation and were able to choose what art electives we wanted to take. I chose dance music and media arts. after the first week of school I was being talked about because I was the only boy in dance. I instantly dropped dance from my schedule and replaced it with art. I regretted the decision instantly but I had to stay in the class because I had already changed it once. later on in the year as I showed interest in the dancers everyday and would always be in the door watching, the dance teacher Shakira Balentyne offfered me a spot to attend ailey camp and it was free. I told my grandmother and she said yes and I enrolled into ailey camp not knowing anything about what it would intel. fast forward I knew nothing about dance at this point and then joining ailey camp and it being a full dance experience (ie Ballet , Horton, Jazz, West African, and even a professional development class) ,meeting people from the ailey organization was truly life changing. I loved every aspect of it. learning about Mr.Alvin Aileys story truly inspired me and since that first year I knew that I wanted to be just like Alvin Ailey. Dancing in companies,on broadway taking the time to understand what it is he wanted the world to see from him as a choreographer, how he toured the world and everyone loved his work. from that summer on I had been dancing non stop to get me ready so that I can make my own path in the dance world

Darion, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My Name is Darion Turner. I was born and raised in Clayton County Georgia. my grandmother took care of me. I was apart of the step team, then started dancing in the 7th grade. at 12 I got introduced to ailey camp and found my love for dance and quickly saw how it distract me from everything going on at home.. I auditioned for a performing arts high school Martha Ellen Stilwell School Of The Arts.i received a scholarship to the Atlanta. Ballet. and then I found out about a dance studio called Eagles Landing Dance Center that gave boys scholarships and allowed them to dance for free. and since 9th grade I had been training there. Covid 19 shut everything down including the dance studio and i was only taking classes online including school and the dance studio .Then around 2021 time things started to open up. and the studio did. it was my safe place. fast forward to my senior year in high school I truly hated online classes. Which included dance classes online because I attended a performing arts high school, it was terrible. I wasn’t motivated and my grades dropped tremendously. I didn’t apply to any colleges or schools but I always knew that I wanted to be at Ailey. I applied right before the deadline and submitted my videos for the audition and I got in. not even knowing if I was going to graduate because a teacher would not allow me to make up any work for her class. after graduation I packed my bags and moved to New York City to follow my dreams to be a professional dancer. in the first year of school I was chosen to perform with the Clifton brown at New York City Center for the Alvin Aileys opening night gala. and from there I’ve had so many incredible opportunities at ailey and it was shown to me that I actually do have what it takes to become a professional.my second year in the school I was chosen to be an apprentice with ailey two and after graduating from the certificate program. I am now a company member with ailey 2.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

at birth my mother decided she didn’t want me and put me up for adoption. The doctor looked at me and said “there is something special about this boy”. he later called my grandmother to see if she wanted me before they sent me through the system. I stayed with my grandmother,grandad , auntie uncle and dad. When I first asked my Grandmother where my mom was she told me “she left you in the hospital when you were born. she didn’t want you. I have been taking care of you and giving you all I have because I love you. ” feeling neglected because how could my own mom not want me. I didn’t know what to do with myself until I found dance and my whole world changed I had finally found a purpose. although my grandma supported me she had other duties and grandkids to attend to. leaving me to find ways to make it back home from dance practice and performances. then at 16 my grandfather passed away and left the house uneasy, my grandmother decided to move out. leaving me with nowhere to go. I had no choice but to call my mom. I moved in with her after not knowing her for 16 years.and it was not the best experience. one day her and her girlfriend got into a heated argument and put me in the middle of it and I was left at home by myself for 3 months during the pandemic . I quickly had to learn how to take care of myself and become a man. I went to dance and stayed home. while my mother was out working her partner comes back home and tells my mom that I did not do anything while they were gone. this caused a riff between me and my mother. we get into a heated argument and she tells me i need to pack my bags and find somewhere else to go. I went and stayed with my grandma ,auntie , and 3 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment until my dad found a place to stay. With everything going and it being my senior year in high school, my grades and motivation dropped and I almost did not graduate. no one asked me if I had submitted any college applications. everyone pretty much gave up on me. but I was always very sure that I would be going to Ailey because it had been my dream since I found dance. I submitted my audition the day it was due. and on a whim I got in. and I have been changing the narrative of my life and now thriving in new york city.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

to me the most rewarding aspect of being a artist and creative is that for one you get to do what you love everyday and no matter how hard it can be it could always be worse at a desk or doing something you’re not passionate about.i find joy everyday in knowing that I have a new chance to figure out something different about myself as an artist. to add on the discipline dance requires teaches me things not just about dance but about life. I have learned so many lessons about the human body the human experience, relationships , how to show up in a room and own it with your presence. things not everyone is taught, and im so grateful for this. another thing that is rewarding is the fulfillment of the inner child that use to want this so bad . To know that all of my hardships didn’t define me as a person and i took a leap of faith and it is working in my favor. the last thing i’ve found is rewarding is at the end of a performance, seeing the audiences rise to their feet after or tell you how inspiring you are and how you healed something in them. Mr.Ailey always wanted to bring dance to the people because ultimately it came from the people and while experiencing how it makes people feel to see us perform for them it warmed my heart and gave me more fuel to want to keep going.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Darionturner_
• Facebook: Darion Turner
• Youtube: Darions World

Image Credits

Nir Arieli
Amaya s. Martin