Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kahlil Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kahlil, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
It took me awhile to think about how to answer this. Mostly because as a natural response, you’d expect anyone to say the most grand thing. Honestly, the small things are most important to me and most of the time, it’s supporting me, my craft, and the community itself. The kindest you can do for me, is care. Every time someone engages with me it’s a new connection. It’s the kindest thing that you can do for any creative. Your own motivation is enough of course, but that outside support from people that don’t know you on a personal level, but adore your form of art is inspiring and as genuine as it can get. They get “it” in some type of shape, form, or expression.
Kahlil, 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?
Hey! Hey!
My name is Kahlil Smith, but I go by so many more names ahah.
I am the creator of the Heels Choreography Brand ‘Sealed With A Heel’ founded January 30th, 2024, and I’ve been teaching for over 3 years in this genre of dance. I’ve been involved in the dance community for a little over 9 years here in North Carolina. It’s honestly still pretty baffling on how I got here today, and it started with Craigslist ahaha.
I didn’t really start dancing until my younger middle school years when I met a group of kids/teens in my local neighborhood. They danced ALL the time. I mean, you had to literally bolt them down to a chair to get them to stop. I learned a couple of popular dance trends from them; ‘The Chickenhead’, The Heel Toe”, etc and that encouraged my interest into what else was out there to learn. It was pretty hard to not be ridiculed as much, as boys around me that time weren’t into “dancing”, so I was labeled immediately while still finding my place.
Luckily, a childhood friend and I shared the same love, and soon enough she introduced me to the greats! We would spend countless nights at my apartment on the balcony learning choreography from music videos from various artists that showcased their dancers. After awhile, we discovered dance classes on Youtube and framed our brains with SO many different genres .
We danced in church every other Sunday on a praise/mime team. We joined High School Dance Teams and Step Teams, put on fashion shows and taught younger kids everything we knew. We found every way possible to keep moving. My parents didn’t have the money unfortunately for the dance classes that inspired me to go all the way. Being Self-Taught played a big role in the journey I embarked in when it came to dancing.
My friend then found an ad on Craigslist to join a dance crew. We auditioned, and from there, we were performing in competitions, showcases, and doing work for local artists. We created “visuals” and “concept” videos. It really opened my eyes to so much more knowing that everyone on that crew brought something different to the table and aspired to do such different things in life. Everyone played a part in what happened on stage and behind the scenes. We found other dancers, we shared dance sessions, and as I got older, I was able to pay for my own classes to further train my craft.
I think most of my experiences molded me to what I can offer today, and what I am still teaching to others. I am so proud of myself for getting this far. As a suicide survivor, things get very heavy, and sometimes I become so overwhelmed with the now. Constantly I have to remind myself that life has so many different stages and you have to stay focused every chance you get. Have fun, take reasonable risks, and do what makes you happy. Im super honored to have such a beautiful group of talented friends and peers who support and encourage me everyday. My brand is built off of just that. Being authentic to yourself first, and the ones who care.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Whew! This was actually when I rebranded with ‘Sealed With a Heel’.
I felt so stagnant in what was teaching. I felt like I couldn’t grow within myself. I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere.
There was so many times where I wanted to give up.
So many times I got so mad at myself, and doubted anything that I put out to the public. There were so many times where I compared myself, I refuse to post videos of myself or my work, and I just didn’t believe in me.
My peers, my friends, and my community shifted that in me. Hearing their stories and how hard they fought gave me a spark to want more. Not just for social media, but for myself. A good friend always told me:
”
“If you can’t fall in love with yourself in your craft, then how do you expect someone to love what you have to offer from it?”
So I became a phoenix. I pivoted my whole brand around. I started showing up for my community again. There was no longer a place for me to sulk in my ‘what ifs’. I made it happen. It’s why I’m still going today. And to every person that has helped me when I cried out, I thank you always!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Society can be more supportive and less judgmental of the art all creatives put out.
Unfortunately, we are living in a time of immense hate, self-hate, and envy. It’s so much room for change. We as a community have to stay focused on why we create today. Starting to think from a mindset that something can be unique without ones self-validation is where most of the change will begin. Friendly-competition is a thing, and so is supporting others from the most authentic part of yourself and not because you expect something in return.
Do it because you want to, not because you feel like you have to. We all must stay humble in my honest opinion.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sealedwitha_heel/profilecard/?igsh=OXN2OTcwbGZpM2t0
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rahwm?si=ov-UzjOWpjO7b5_g
- Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sealedwithaheel?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=9d819a53-44e0-469b-9f5e-f55e04ba6502
Image Credits
Pink Cherry Pole and Dance Studio
Karl Brown Jr.