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

Jackie, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was 18 years old, and I had never seen, heard, or even knew anything about dancing. As part of my phys ed class, I was put into a semester of modern dance. I had a friend in the class who was taking at a professional studio and asked me to come and watch. I was hesitant and not that interested, but I went. I remember sitting in a folding chair in the doorway of the classroom. The teacher started and I didn’t understand what he was saying, what they were doing, or what this music was. But as I sat there crying, for the entire class, I knew that I had to figure this out.

Jackie, 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?

Because I started dancing so late, I had to learn fast and improve quickly. I went from dancer to choreographer to director/producer to business owner. I know now and I knew then that it wasn’t necessarily because I was the best or even proficient at my craft. It was because when asked, I continued to say, “yes, I can do that.” It’s hard to explain the difference between wanting to do something and having to do something. By that I mean the feeling of absolutely needing that thing in order to survive. That’s what dance was for me. I had no choice.

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

Like many when starting out, I lived on nothing. There was a moment in time when I lived in my car and worked in a restaurant so that I could have dinner. I don’t remember being scared or insecure. I just knew that I had to work hard to get through this time.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

It’s difficult for some to understand, but the movement and the music keeps me going. I am truly in love with it. It’s almost impossible to explain, but it fills my body with feelings like nothing else can. That’s what drives me. It’s part of every day of my life. It’s as simple as listening to the radio while driving and feeling overwhelmed by the music and the visuals that fill my head.

Contact Info:

• Website: jackie@ladancemagic.com
• Instagram: jackie@ladancemagic.com
• Linkedin: Jackie Sleight

Image Credits

Lindsay Rosenberg Photography