We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Saul a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Jessica Marie Saul was born and raised in the Bronx, New York by Dominican and Puerto Rican parents. At an early age, artistic expression was a staple in her life and she began dancing hip-hop, merengue, salsa, and bachata, as well as house and reggae. Jessica went to SUNY Albany and graduated with a Political Science degree because she was determined to help make a change in her community and others worldwide. Remo, as she is best known amongst her friends and colleagues, was first introduced to stepping when she tried out for her high school cheerleading team at Herbert H. Lehman High School. Thereafter she drew to this art form that would change her life forever. However, her passion for youth development and fitness superseded the initial goal and Jessica has received many awards, media appearances and participated in many city-wide events to benefit the youth she services.
• President Obama & Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Award (2010)
• “Next Generation Latina” Award by MasterCard & LATINA Magazine (2012)
• White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics – Bright Spots Education Award (2015)
• 7th Annual Hawaii University 2017 STEAM Conference Presenter
• Feature on MTV Series True Life
• Feature on MTV Tres Quiero Mi Quince
• ABC’s Good Morning America
• Telemundo’s Acceso Total
• Univision’s! Despierta America
• The Tyra Bank Show
• Summer on the Hudson in NYC Feature Performer
Jessica’s stepping career began with the formation of her sorority’s (Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.) National Step Team, which won consistent championships against both Latino and African American Fraternal Organizations nationwide. Jessica’s success in stepping and the New Jersey afterschool market, landed her in an episode of the MTV network series “True Life: I’m Stepping”. Remo was documented in the pursuit of leading a Latino step team as the first in history to compete and be named winner in an all African American Fraternal step contest. Through this experience, she began to develop and produce many events that promoted stepping in the Latin Greek community as well as Stepping communities.
With the development of the Art of Stepping, she employs Latinos, does workshops for various other Latino run and Latino demographic-based companies.
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?
Jessica Saul is the First Minority Woman (Latina) to copyright and trademark a STEM program that combines Arts (Step), Mathematics and Technology (mobile beta instructional app). By doing so, she received the Presidential Award Fitness, Nutrition and Sports President Obama and White House Educational Excellence Award: Bright Spot for Hispanics.
Since the start of her career, she understood the importance of growing the art form not only for a creative path but to provide opportunities that would create opportunities and financial support. In 2020, the launch of the World of Step which is a dance/artistic community & movement that holds events, competitions, regional workshops and educational conventions annually and bi-annually.
WOS, created in 2016, is a dance/artistic community & movement that holds events, competitions, regional workshops and educational conventions annually and bi-annually. WOS allows for all those in attendance (physically and virtually online) the opportunity to experience and celebrate all that the Art of Stepping (AOS) and its partners have to offer. Various activities exist, but not limited to, educational workshops, artistic/step performances, meet & greets with celebrity judges and more!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Through the AOS STEAM program she created she was the sole employee for many years; serving and mentoring the program participants. She is a constant force behind the company and with the kids. Everyone loves meeting and hearing from “Mrs. Remo” as they refer to her. Remo’s unique program has been implemented in various afterschool partnerships and focuses on Techniques 101 (Sounds vs. Counts) to Basic Body Formations. She elaborates on explaining various positions and teaches varying levels of students, including the hearing and visually impaired.
The most rewarding aspect of mentoring is knowing the impact you will leave for future generation and not only present.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is knowing that you are teaching individuals to express themselves with their bodies. Sometimes it is difficult in finding the right words and we need the ability to let go in some type of form so we can be free to be ourselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ArtofStepping.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/artofstepping
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtofStepping/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/artofstepping
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/worldofstep https://www.facebook.com/WorldofStep http://www.instagram.com/worldofstep
Image Credits
Jessica ‘REMO’ Saul