We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lily Kate Goehring a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lily Kate, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Growing up in Grand Forks, North Dakota, I didn’t have many opportunities to explore the dance industry. My sister and I were both dancers, and our mom was our teacher, but other than training, I never imagined dance as a career path. That changed when I moved to Las Vegas in 2018 and joined the Prodigy Dance Crew. Seeing how these dancers were not only training at a high level but also thriving in the industry opened my eyes to new possibilities. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to pursue dance professionally, and I’ve worked hard to turn it into a career!
Lily Kate, 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?
My name is Lily Goehring, and I am a professional dancer currently based in Las Vegas. I’ve been dancing since I was just two years old, and have been teaching since age 13. After moving to Vegas in 2018, I joined Prodigy Dance, an elite professional hip-hop crew. I started training more and booked my first job for a Blink-182 music video in 2019. I also became a resident dancer for Rose. Rabbit. Lie., a dinner theater show at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas! In June 2022, I had the incredible opportunity to appear on NBC’s Dancing With Myself (Season 1, Episode 4: “Hoops Don’t Lie”), featuring Shakira, Liza Koshy, and Nick Jonas, with Camille Kostek as host. Following this, I was honored to be cast as a dancer for the Las Vegas Aces’ Full Tilt Dance Crew during the 2022 and 2023 WNBA seasons, where I also contributed choreography for several performances. Most recently, I had the thrill of performing with The Weeknd at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival. Every experience has reinforced my love for dance, and I’m excited to continue sharing my passion. I teach weekly at my studio, and love helping kids grow and find their love for dance.
Something that is unique about me is that I’m actually a hard-of-hearing dancer. I am completely deaf in my left ear, and have unfortunately lost hearing in my right. Even though this might be seen as a challenge, I’ve noticed I’ve been able to listen to music more carefully. Each time I listen to a song, or learn a dance combo, I listen very carefully to hear all the beats and little sounds in the music. Although I need to protect my hearing in the future, I’m grateful for dance as an outlet to express my feelings.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My biggest dream in life is to tour with an artist. There have been people from my dance studio to go on tour, and they are living their best lives on stage. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to perform with some artists in the entertainment industry already, but going on tour would be a huge break in my career. I’m dedicated to continuing my growth as a dancer to make this dream a reality.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everyone found themselves stuck at home and glued to their phones. I decided to use this time to start posting more on TikTok, and when Instagram launched Reels, I began creating content on there too. My goal was to share my passion for dance while connecting with others during a time of isolation. By posting consistently, I was able to grow my accounts and make meaningful connections. My best advice is to stay consistent and don’t worry about others’ opinions. The world can be judgmental, but if you’re passionate about what you do, you can accomplish incredible things!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lilykate.net/about/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilykatexo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilykatexo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilykatexo
- Twitter: https://x.com/lilykatexo_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LilyKatexo/videos
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lilykatexo
Image Credits
Deed DeBruno – Son Studios Las Vegas