Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Carara.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
From the time I was three years old, I knew I wanted to be a dancer. After begging my mom to put me into classes, I was placed into my first ballet/tap combo class. I grew up at the same studio in a small town, with the biggest love for dance. From childhood and through high school, most of my time outside of school was spent at the dance studio, working as hard as I could. During that time, I was given opportunities to perform lead roles such as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, and Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker at my studio. The amount of hours dedicated to perfecting technique is a number I couldn’t even try to count. I have now danced for a few companies, and continue to be a guest artist all over the country. Additionally, I collaborate with lots of amazing photographers, videographers, and musicians to create new art projects that I am extremely proud of.
Despite lots of challenges: struggling with body image, injuries, and being severely bullied, my love for dancing and creating never diminished. I fought hard to be the best I could be, to lead as an example for others and inspire those around me, and to always be grateful for my abilities. To this day, my favorite place in this world to be is on stage performing and showing everyone what I love to do! I feel so blessed every day to have this ability and to have had such amazing opportunities throughout my career.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a ballerina, first and foremost. I love performing on stage and collaborating with different companies, choreographers, dancers, musicians, and more! Additionally, I work with photographers and videographers to create new types of work for the digital world, which is what you can find on my Instagram. I have always made it a priority to be as professional and kind as possible throughout my entire career. Growing up, there weren’t many kind or inspirational role models in my life. I wanted to change that as soon as I was old enough to be an inspiration to others. Through my art and my career, I want to express my love for art and dance, as well as being transparent about the challenges I’ve faced.
Another huge passion that comes out of this creative process is meeting and connecting to new people. I love hearing the stories of people around me and sharing mine with them. My artwork is a collaborative effort where two or more people come together, all with different stories and perspectives to create something that is brand new. I am so fortunate to work with such talented people; Nicole Marcelli and Oliver Endahl (Ballet Zaida), to name a few.
These projects have taken me to different parts of my state, the country, and beyond. I have discovered so much beauty through the people around me because of it!
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
The life of an artist is an incredibly challenging, but rewarding one. A lot of times, dance is a struggle. It feels like one step forward and three steps back. Taking even just a week off leaves you feeling frustrated and out of shape. A consistent mind game filled with overcoming injuries, body image, drama, and more. Despite all the struggles, I fall in love with ballet even more every day. The moments I get to spend on stage, the small successes in class, the friendships I’ve built, the amazing artists I’ve met, and things of that nature are what keep me going. This is my life and I love it. I’m blessed to be a ballerina.
In reference to the internet, I think it depends on how you look at it. The challenge of an artist can be as simple as not knowing how to break through the algorithm and get your work seen. However, since it has made communication so accessible, it has opened up my world in a huge way. Through displaying my work digitally, I have created a space where other people can reach out to me and collaborate with me, which is amazing.
A huge thing that any person in any city can do to help artists thrive is by supporting their work. Spending their time and money on attending performances, going to art galleries, concerts, and more can be a huge help for the arts. As performers, we need people to perform for! A lot of times, our pay also depends on how many people attend shows. So look up performances/shows and go support your local artists!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see most of my work through Instagram: @jennacarara. I also have a dance video, and some upcoming projects on my YouTube channel: Jenna Carara.
My Instagram will stay up to date on upcoming performances I may have. You can support my work by following me, commenting, asking questions, and most importantly: following and supporting the photographers and videographers that collaborate with me!
Contact Info:
- Email: jenna.carara@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennacarara/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jenna-Elise–534309670386197/?view_public_for=534309670386197
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennacarara
Image Credit:
Nicole Marcelli (@Nicole_Marcelli), Oliver Endahl (@BalletZaida)
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
