We recently connected with Jasmine Bunn and have shared our conversation below.

Jasmine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

My entire career has honestly been a risk. A risk worth taking without a doubt. Before moving to Los Angeles, I lived in Charlotte, NC. Most people in NC are not considering being a dancer as an actual career choice. Maybe, if you go on to be in a ballet or modern company, but so many people I crossed paths with tried to steer me away from this choice. There were even people that I thought supported me that tried to steer me away from moving and putting my marbles in this particular jar. Maybe they didn’t realize at the time how their words would come across but if anything it ignited a bigger fire for me. I always saw the vision for my future. I may not have known all that I was capable of at 22, fresh out of college but by that time I knew what I didn’t want. I didn’t want to be at a 9-5 desk job. I didn’t want to just be working for money and lack fulfillment. So I took a leap, moved across the country and set out to pursue dance in the best place I could think of. Best decision I ever made, everything happens for a reason and nothing that I’ve done in my career would have happened with me not living here. There’s another universe where I moved somewhere else maybe but I can’t imagine my life in Charlotte. My foundation was built on the east coast but my career was built on the west coast.
When covid happened I had some doubts because I did have a lot of friends who moved back home, they couldn’t afford LA anymore or their parents weren’t comfortable with them out in LA with the industry so on the fence. Which pushed me into my fitness. I was already a trainer at a gym but when dance picked up for me I quit and then covid happened and I felt inclined to dive into being a trainer on my own accord. My clients had no where else to go anyways because most gyms closed so I took another huge risk on my fitness business. Started investing in my own equipment and really dove deeper into my own education as well. Now, all because I didn’t settle, my life is fitness and dance only. I have many jobs and things I take on but what consumes me is by choice and always things I love!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in upstate NY, which is where I began dancing, mostly at competition studios. Then my family moved to Charlotte, NC. I am a graduate of Northwest School of The Arts and UNC Charlotte. I received my degree in Choreography, theory and performance in 2016. A year later I moved to LA. As you a see i’ve been dancing my entire life, but LA is different. Everyone here is hungry for the same thing. So you learn how to really find your way because you literally have to. I nurtured my connections and networked to learn as much about the industry as possible.

Im Currently signed to Clear Talent Group ( CTG ) They have been amazing, I love working with them, I feel heard and they have been a huge piece of the puzzle towards my dreams and goals. I think that having a good team behind you will always make a huge difference in your success. They help me in my dancer/performance life. I am also a choreographer, I teach hip hop and jazz funk mostly but also contemporary and heels too. Many of my teaching accomplishments have come from connections I have gained through the years and I’m proud to be able to give back to the next generation of dancers in any capacity. I want to be the resource that I always wish I had growing up.

I am also a personal trainer, I hold sessions 1 on 1 with clients as well as group if people want to workout with friends. I coach F45 so I love group fitness too. I have online programs if in-person training isn’t your thing as well. My specialty is in general fitness ( losing fat, gaining muscle) and working with dancers as athletes. The changes we make in our health and fitness truly change our lives. Knowing that I am changing lives simply by holding people accountable and sharing my knowledge will always be special to me!

I think I’m just proud to say that I did what I said I was going to do. It’s that simple. Way too often we dream big in our younger years and for whatever reason those dreams get put on the back burner. I didn’t want to do that to myself. I am determined to build my resume until I truly can’t any more. I want to stay focused on filling the cups of the people I encounter and making a difference.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Something that society can do to support artists and creatives is to stop treating them like what ever they’re doing is just a hobby. So many of us have dedicated and invested our life to our craft. Even if you started “late” you probably played catch up and invested even more time than some. We get treated like we’re just playing around and having fun because one of our jobs is to entertain and have fun. But that shouldn’t negate the hard work put behind it. We get on stage for a 2 hour show and make it look easy. To get to that point we had weeks, maybe months of 8hr+ rehearsals, 5+ days a week. We put our bodies through the wringer to put on a good show and dont get me wrong, we do love it, we do have fun but we do work hard and deserve to be treated that way.
Considering the current economy, what gets stressful is people loving what we do, wanting to hire us and offering next to nothing. So overall just remembering that someone’s art can also their job and livelihood. And as artists knowing that you can say no and wait for the opportunities that feel worth it. Gravitate towards respect in all areas.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is knowing day in, day out, that I love my life. Im not “trapped” in a job or routine that i’m only doing to survive. I rarely feel stagnant. I have to work to survive but my life is fun and exciting. Any given day I am dancing at sold out concerts, being on set for a music video, filming workout videos, judging dance competitions, traveling the world. Last year I traveled to 15 countries through dance. There’s almost no way i’d be able to do that all in one year with some other career. My life feels full, even when it’s rough and that is a very big reward in my book.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.JazzyBFIt.me
• Instagram: @JazzyBFit_ / @JasmineBunn
• Youtube: @Jazzybfit

Image Credits

Picture 1- Alejandro Alfonso
Picture 2- Jimmy Love
picture 3- Brandon Anastascio