We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LaSheta Skinner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi LaSheta, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The first moment that it truly clicked with me was Freshman year of college. Throughout high school I was a member of my school drill team and truly loved it! But it was not until I became a Trinity Valley Cardette dancer, was my path in life more clear. I knew whatever I did moving forward was going to inspire and tell a story.

LaSheta, 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?

I began dancing around the age of 7 and I honestly took off from there. I joined my high school dance team, tried out for any leadership position possible and worked as hard as I could to become the best I could possibly be. Those leadership positions allowed me the first opportunity to explore choreography. After I graduated from Morton Ranch High School in Katy, TX, I auditioned and made the team for the Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, TX. From there I continued with that same drive from high school. I auditioned for Freshmen Representative, Lieutenant and the Showgirls competition team. I was truly grateful to have made all 3! From there the sky was the limit. I choreographed for basketball season(s) and spring productions. This allowed me to build on my skills from the choreography that I had done previously in high school. From there while I attended the University of North Texas I continued working at local studios in Dallas and continuing to be present in the dance community. I studied on different dance genres through studio classes such as Ballet, Modern, Theater Dance and Tap. I dived deeper into my specialty: Contemporary dance. Once I begun directing dance in 2020 my choreography took off. I became dedicated on another level. Telling stories, showcasing imagery and shedding light on situations that are not talked about much. I am most proud of the impact that my dances have made on others in addition to the words that my choreography has received at competition level. From my 9/11 lyrical piece to a powerful routine about hiding behind everyday masks that we experience. I want my dances to convey a message that the audience is completely engulfed in for that time period. I want my potential clients to know that when brought in to work with their dancers, I give 1000%. Whether it is being brought in for a workshop for flexibility or to come in for performance choreography. I make sure that dancers understand the meaning behind what they are doing. I explore intricate movements, technique and tricks to push the dancers to the next level. I am big on passion and using your breath when dancing. I truly believe that I can make a positive impact on dancers and help remind them why they love this performing art.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is truly working with the dancers. It is the absolute best feeling when you have a dancer come to you and thank you for believing in them. Or, they simply thank you for pushing them to a level they did not believe they could reach. When creating and working with dancers to use their body as a way to communicate they tend to learn a lot about themselves. Whether that is how to show happiness in a Jazz routine or sadness and worry in a Contemporary. They learn how to sit in those feelings and let their bodies showcase what they can’t say. And once that message is shown, and I mean truly shown by dancers that they believe the story they are telling; that is the most rewarding feeling for me as a Choreographer.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The major pivot for me in life was choosing to pursue dance full time. When transferring to the University of North Texas, I actually declared my major as Journalism and graduated with a Bachelors in Advertising. I interned with Dr. Pepper/Snapple and realized I did not want to do the Advertising agency life. Once that realization came I went down the path of, oh no, I just made the biggest mistake of my life. I always knew that my passion was for dance, but I let others get in my head and believed that I needed a backup plan. I was told not to get a degree in dance, but to get a degree in another concentration and continue dancing on the side. Once the realization came that I was unhappy in my current choices, I completely pivoted. I enrolled in the Texas Teachers certification program to get my teacher certification in Dance and from their applied for positions as a Dance Teacher and Director. I landed my very first job as a full time dance teacher during the COVID pandemic in 2020. It was hard coming in during that time, but I learned, I pushed through and now I am going into my 4th year as a director. I can’t help but to think if I continued with the mindset of not pursuing my true passion, I would not be who I am today. My choreography and the impact that I make on young dancers in the performing arts is what I truly believe that I was meant to do in this lifetime. I am happy, I am living in my truth and I am on the path to leave a mark in the world that I can be proud of.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.lashetaskinner.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_lashetaskinnercreative_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lashetadskinner/

Image Credits
Karen Léger Photography