We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Omari Collier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Omari below.

Omari, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

After high school, I had no intentions of furthering my dance journey. I went off to college and did not train for the entirety of my freshman year. It was not until I attended my college dance program’s spring concert that I realized something had to change. I had let go of something that fueled my soul in more ways than one. Sophomore year rolled around, and I auditioned for the dance company at my university. I was selected to perform in two student-choreographed pieces, but they never got to see the stage due to the pandemic. I moved back to my hometown for four months, but that did not keep me from dancing. I spent lots of hours in my basement, improving to various genres of music and teaching virtual classes. This is when I acknowledged my passion for creating and sharing my artistry with others. As the world began to make its way back to normality, I found myself evolving into the dancer and choreographer that I am today. I would not have ever imagined pursuing an artistic career path, but I am glad that I did.

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?

I grew up in Fayetteville, Georgia, where I trained in various genres of dance at Carla’s Dance Factory. I competed at the regional and national level for 11 years. Upon my high school graduation, I attended Kennesaw State University, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Media & Entertainment. While I was in college, I also minored in Dance and was a member of the KSU Dance Company. During my senior year, I was selected to represent Kennesaw State University as their student choreographer at the American College Dance Association Southeast Conference in Tallahassee, Florida. Currently, I am a professional dancer with Movement, The Company in Sharpsburg, Georgia and continuing to share my passion for dance through teaching and choreographing. My work has received honorable recognition, including choreography awards and Industry Dance Awards nominations.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As cliche as this sounds, my main goal is to make a difference in someone’s life. If my students decide not to continue their journey with dance, I want to teach them life lessons that they implement in their chosen career path.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Being in the creative field is not easy. We are constantly putting ourselves out there and trying our best to challenge others to think differently. There is always a presence of perfectionism, followed by a fear of failure. All we can do is embrace the struggle and know that the creative process is a journey.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/omcollier
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@omcollier

Image Credits

Chris Coates Photography, Consider The Lilies Photography, Jason King Photography