Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Perrin.
Hi Jamie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was introduced to dance at a very young age. My dad was a professional jazz musician and he owned a music store that was next to a dance studio. The owner of the studio would let me watch classes and I told my parents I wanted to dance. They enrolled me in my first dance class at 3 years old, and 40 years later I am still dancing.
I grew up in Jefferson City, MO, and trained at Dancers’ Alley for 15 years. My freshman year of college, I was not a dance major. I always heard how unstable a dance career was and you would not make a lot of money. So, I went to school for hospitality management. That lasted one semester. I was miserable without dance in my life. I transferred to Stephens College and received my B.F.A. in dance performance. School and I never got along so I got it over with as quickly as I could! I went straight into graduate school after college and I received my M.F.A. in dance from Sam Houston State University at the age of 23.
After grad school, I landed my first job teaching at Tarrant County College-South campus in Ft. Worth, TX. My first professional performance came a few months later when I auditioned to perform at Super Bowl XXXVIII with Aerosmith. Performing at an event of that magnitude is unlike any other experience! I then auditioned and received a contract with Celebrity Cruise Lines. I did 2 contracts traveling the world, and that is where I met my future husband, Jason. He was the production manager of the onboard theatre and he was my boss. We have been happily married now for 15 years and we have an amazing son, James. Once we were done with the ship life, I was hired as a full-time dance instructor at Tarrant County College again, but this time on the Southeast campus. From 2007-2015 I was the head of the program and my last year I served as the Department Chair of Fine Arts.
My husband’s job lead us to traveling around the states for a little bit and we even relocated to Vancouver, Canada. After a year and a half, we decided to move back to Texas. I taught at various colleges and studios and was a choreographer at Six Flags Over Texas for two years. I am also a judge for a national dance competition, The Dance Effect. Four years ago, I decided I was ready to open my own dance studio in Mansfield called The Movement Academy. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to have a successful career in dance and make a living at it. The rumors I heard as a kid about a dance career were not true!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The entertainment industry is anything but smooth. You have to have tough skin to be in the line of business. You will hear “No” more than you will hear “Yes” and you can’t let that stop you. I did not get accepted into my dream college dance program and I was told my body was on the heavy side. So not only did I not get accepted, I was given negative feedback about the way I looked. Getting cut from auditions, rejection letters from dance programs, not getting hired for teaching jobs, comes with the territory. It is difficult to deal with in the moment, but all of those experiences led me to where I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As much as I love performing, teaching is my true passion. I love pushing my students and helping them reach their true potential. I am known as a teacher that gives tough love. If a student does not show up focused and ready to work, I ask them why they are there. Work ethic is everything. I believe that professionalism, classroom etiquette and how my students treat others, is more important than how high they can kick their legs.
I think what sets me apart is that my students can see how passionate I am about dance, even 40 years later. When you have been involved with something for four decades, it is easy to become complacent. I truly love dance and all the things that comes with it and that is expressed to my students and they feed off of that energy.
I am most proud of the successes that my students achieve. It doesn’t matter if it is getting accepted into a college dance program, first overall at a competition, or finally nailing that one step they couldn’t get. Any success my students achieve, is a success for me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think luck is half of the battle. In this industry, sometimes it is not what you know, but who you know. The dance world is very small and everyone knows everyone. You can get hired for a job because luckily someone recommended you. That is how I became a choreographer at Six Flags Over Texas and for the Chuck E. Cheese corporation.
One of my favorite dance experiences happened out of bad luck. About 20 years ago I attended the Broadway Dance Center Winter Workshop in New York City. I had the opportunity to train for a week under my idol, Liz Imperio. During a break, my friend and I were walking around Times Square. Unfortunately, I missed the curb and when I stepped down, I rolled my ankle and fell. I sprained my ankle and I could not walk. I went back to the workshop on crutches. Since I could not finish the workshop, that concluded with a performance on a Broadway stage, Liz asked me to assist her with a convention she toured with. I could not believe that a sprained ankle led me to assisting my idol.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tmadance.com
- Instagram: @jamieperrin17
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamie.perrin.165
Image Credits
Shawn Robles
