Today we’d like to introduce you to Renée Austin
Hi Renée, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started dancing at 3 years old at Mayfair Dance Academy in Chicago, IL where my aunt also taught classes. Ballet and tap were the first dance styles I started training in but gradually added styles such as jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and lyrical over time; I continued training as my family moved around the country at institutions such as Diverse Elements Dance Studio, Encore Dance Center, and Arizona School for the Arts. Upon moving to Seattle, WA I was introduced to modern dance and Donald Byrd technique at Spectrum Dance Theater in their pre-professional Academy program. The Academy program is an all-encompassing pre-professional experience for emerging young dance artists, and introduced me to other styles of dance including traditional Samoan, Argentine Tango, and West African, in addition to choreography classes to hone our artistry.
From 7th grade through high school, however, I struggled with knee dislocations and subluxations in both knees, having incidents in dance class, at home, and other areas of life. Having over 6 injuries with each knee resulted in me stepping away from dance for my last 2 years of high school; I had 2 arthroscopic knee surgeries to repair minor ligaments that were completely torn in both knees, in addition to other operations. I spent junior year of high school recovering from one surgery in the fall and the other in the spring, filling my time with musical theater choreography, yearbook photography, and various other clubs and organizations at my high school.
After graduating high school and starting at Washington University in St. Louis, I discovered their dance program and took classes more so to get comfortable dancing again, thinking I would graduate from WashU to attend medical school. After having my first performance since surgery during my freshman spring, I became inspired to reconnect with dance. The pandemic interrupted my ability to get involved in dance the way I expected, but gave me time to ease back into classes and training at the advanced level I had before. Outside of class, I spent a lot of time dancing by myself and getting comfortable moving again, pushing my boundaries gradually. After COVID restrictions loosened my junior year, I got involved in any and every dance opportunity WashU had to offer and switched my major to dance. I spent time that would have gone to my senior thesis focusing on dance company auditions and researching career options, resulting in my current position as a company dancer with RESILIENCE Dance Company.
Having more time to dedicate to dance after graduating from WashU changed the trajectory of my career exponentially; my mentor Cecil Slaughter gave me my first freelance opportunity, bringing me on as a dancer and rehearsal assistant for a show with St. Louis Rhythm Collaborative, “Live at the Last Hotel.” I then met the talented RnB artist Kbthesinger and traveled with his team to Milwaukee for the 2023 Summerfest music festival, kickstarting my freelance career outside of my dance company. I’ve collaborated with numerous organizations and artists since then, including Anheuser-Busch, COCA, The Black Rep, Hana Canhasi, Aaliyah Weston, Keshon Campbell, Pack Dance (formerly CKDC), Erin Morris, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, Utopia Experiences, and more! I recently had my modeling debut at the inaugural Alt Ball fashion show hosted by the Contemporary Art Museum, and I’m excited to continue exploring how I can further engage with St. Louis and the arts at large.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest obstacle was having two knee surgeries; any kind of surgery is often seen as career-ending for many athletes, especially within dance. Coming back to dance after major surgeries showed me I can achieve anything with hard work and dedication! I’ve had other injuries that required me to step away from dance as well, but coming back after each injury I’ve learned to take the time I need to heal, and the longevity of my dance career depends on taking care of myself first: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
I’ve experienced lots of periods of unexpected change since I was a kid; moving across the country multiple times, switching studios, and switching schools many times are only some of those big changes. No matter what studio I was at or what part of the country I was in, I still always had dance. Even as I explore new styles or learn new skills, my passion for dance continues to grow and evolve. Being forced away from dance and finding my way back to it has strengthened my relationship with dance exponentially; I know I’m meant to use dance and the arts as vehicles to change the world for the better and share my passion with others.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Primarily I’m a company artist with RESILIENCE Dance company, a contemporary-modern dance company in St. Louis. We train and rehearse every week during the season to prepare for our performances, have community outreach events such as Seen: STL, and have traveled to perform at festivals in places like Detroit and Kansas City! When I’m not with RESILIENCE, I teach across the city, choreograph, train at Kode Redd Dance Studio, collaborate with artistic peers, and support the community by attending as many events and shows as I can.
Although dance is the primary vehicle for my career, I consider myself a multi-talented and multi-hyphenated artist. I love performing and engaging with audiences, but also have a lot of experience behind the scenes, with customer service, and with leadership roles you don’t see at the forefront of a production or organization. I also have significant experience with theater and tech crew, photography, visual art, music, directing, and enjoy creating art in general. The diversity of my skillset and the wide breadth of knowledge I pull from makes me a unique, well-equipped artist and collaborator to work with in nearly any setting; you could ask me to do a leap, perform a monologue, sing a harmony, give performance notes, or hang lights from over 10 feet above a stage. Having experience in many aspects of the arts informs my dancing and quality of artistry, and helps me approach creating art in new ways.
I’m known for my dance performances and my social media presence, but I’m excited to step into choreography and directorial roles more consistently. I recently got to creative direct and dance in a music video for Kbthesinger’s newest single “Rock” and am excited to have more opportunities like that in the future! I have a lot of proud moments, but currently am really proud of the kids I teach at COCA. They inspire me to find the same joy and excitement in dance even though I’m not a beginner anymore.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The COVID-19 pandemic took a large toll on my mental and emotional well-being to the point where I wasn’t as successful in my classes, as I was enrolled at WashU at the time. I had to rebuild my sense of self in many ways; dancing and creating simply for the enjoyment of it helped bring my spark back so that I was ready to enjoy dance more fully when restrictions ended. I also learned that you don’t need all of the typical tools or spaces to create art, especially for dance! I learned how to create dance videos, and did several projects and collaborations while at WashU that challenged my ideas of what dance performance should look like or take place, such as dancing in the snow or with an art sculpture. The most important lesson I learned was to never take anything for granted; doing what brings you joy in life is so much more fulfilling, and I’m privileged to have my dream job as a career!
Pricing:
- For inquiries on private lessons, teaching, and other freelance opportunities: email reneeaustin023@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/reneeaustin
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/reneeeaustin
- Other: https://dancehypha.com/dancer/bed5Eu8CrNSSRQmiRyS1FkmAC8o2
