Nia Lonette - "Be the Moment"

Nia Lonette is a professional dancer from Temple Hills, Maryland. Growing up she trained in all styles but was consistent in ballet. In school she rarely spoke to people but dance was the one place she could express herself. 

She went through major trauma that made her fearful of partnering or exploring her true potential as a dancer. She fell in love with dancing in heels because she was able to combine her ballet technique while also sharing her version of femininity. A way that allows women to not feel like objects but to feel like queens.

What age did you start dancing and what did dance mean to you when you were a little girl?

I started dancing at the age of 3 where I took my first dance class. Dance was always a safe haven for me. A place where I could be myself and express myself. 

Nia you are now a professional dancer but when you were at school, you rarely spoke to people and were fearful of partnering or exploring your true potential as a dancer. Can you tell us more about this? 

As a child I was super self conscious. I mean this was around the time for kids where they were worried about the wrong thing. Am I too tall? Am I too thick? What if they don't like partnering with me? So I was super in my head about a lot which caused me to shy away from partnering for a while. 

Nia, you have had a major trauma, has dance been a part of your healing and if so, how?

Through all of the trauma I have been through I would say dance was the thing that helped me heal. When I go to a dance class I don't think about anything else. My intention every time I step into a room is to be at one with the music and to make the moves come to life. 

You fell in love with dancing in heels which allows you to share your version of femininity. Can you elaborate on your ‘version of femininity’?

My version of femininity is kind of like a collaboration of Beyonce and Lauryn Hill. I love to show the sultry side of women but I also know that there are so many other things that make a woman. The subtle ways we move our hands, a simple glance, even a powerful stance. 

How does dance, and specifically dancing in heels allow women to, in your words “not feel like objects, but to feel like queens”? 

Dancing in heels just brings a sort of energy out with women. Each time I teach class people may be nervous at first or hesitant with their initial steps because for some reason they feel afraid to be “”sexy”. To me dancing in heels or dance in  general allows the dancer to truly feel authentic because it is their body doing the motion. When you listen to a song and apply the movement to the song you are able to then become an artist and paint a picture that you want the audience to see. 

Nia you are also a choreographer and movement coach and your work is really impactful. Your goal is to create art that “tells enduring stories and resonates with audiences on a deep emotional level”. What would you consider essential to creating this kind of depth and story telling? 

You have to experience life in order to create that kind of depth or have a VERY amazing imagination. Life is full of experiences and when you're able to truly pull from a place of “oh I’ve been there” then you're able to genuinely create stories with impactful plots. That can be as simple as going through a breakup to experience heartbreak, falling in love to experience love,  watching a movie about deep feelings, going to an amusement park to experience thrill, and so much more. 

You have created a Dance Industry Survival Guide, what’s one piece of advice you would offer an up and coming dancer pursuing their dream?

My biggest piece of advice is to have a solid community around you. While we are in this journey called life alone, we want to make sure we have a solid community around us as well. There will be moments where life throws curve balls at you and you may feel like giving up. However when you have a great community around you who share a similar common goal, then you are able to conquer anything. 

Nia you have experienced real success and have collaborated with artists such as Beyonce, Kali Uchis, Kem and prestigious brands, can you tell us more about your journey to success and in particular one of your challenging times on that journey?

To be very honest with you, this journey almost didn't happen if I had allowed fear to get in the way. Summer 2017 I remember my mother asking me “What are you going to do when you get signed?” I said we will cross that bridge when we get there. She then proceeds to tell me “When you get signed I'm moving you out to California so you can pursue the arts. As soon as I got to L.A I knew there was no more room for fear. I had to hit the ground running and truly show not only her but myself that I am capable of great things. I started working as a front desk associate just to make ends meet until I booked my first job with Remy Ma. From there I got the chance to work with many more brands and artists and allowed me to not work a normal 9-5 for about 7 years now. The most challenging part was staying encouraged during the down seasons. Those seasons where work is truly slow and you’re trying to make sure that check from the last job lasts you for a while. However, every time I worry, something else shows up right on time. 

What’s next Nia? 

Next I am wanting to continue to share my knowledge on the dance industry and guide dancers of all ages. I also want to grow my dance company and get dancers to perform and share stories in different stages. Also growing my clothing brand “The Muse Wear” so that people can feel amazing when they are dancing. 

Thank you for sharing your story with us Nia . We love the way you express yourself so confidently and share this with other women so they also can step into their most confident selves.