Today we’d like to introduce you to Margot Garrett.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a 22 year old dancer/choreographer based out of Los Angeles, CA and originally from Nashville, TN. My love for dance started as soon as I could walk. Dance is something so special to me and something I hold very close to my heart. One of the #1 reasons people dance is to be able to express how they are feeling and escape whatever is going on in their everyday life. That is EXACTLY what it was/is for me. On top of this art being something that genuinely makes me happy, it has been there for me from the start. As a kid, I went through some challenging times. Being able to have danced as an outlet for those difficult times is something I will never take for granted. Like I stated, I started dancing at a very young age (2 years old). I sit back and think how crazy it is that something that I started just for fun has turned into something I cannot imagine my life without. Something that is now my career and what I look forward to do every single day. It all started out with me being put in my first dance class, which then led to me being apart of a team. I found that being apart of a competition team was where I found my second family. I didn’t have many school friends.
Most of the time I was at the studio more than my own home. I couldn’t always hang out, have sleepovers, go to the movies, etc. At times that was very hard, but I also knew since I was little that dance was what I wanted to pursue. I knew that if I wanted this, I have to go for it 110%. Which took a lot of training, keeping my mind right and staying in the right path. Next huge part of my life was attending Nashville School of the Arts to major in Dance. I took various styles of dance/choreography classes every day on top of my academics. This is where I felt my love for dance skyrocket. I learned SO much and was challenged MENTALLY/PHYSICALLY. I knew that going to an arts school would be different, very different. There were definitely things I missed. I didn’t have the high school football games, basketball games, etc. What I did have though, was an even bigger group of people to call family. To push, motivate, and inspire me more than ever to get me closer to my dream. After graduating high school, my sister and I opened up our own dance company called “MM Dance Company”. We started this company to train/mentor dancers, while also providing them with different opportunities on top of competing. Music videos, photoshoots, concept videos, and more. We started out with nine dancers just thinking “This is what we want to do, let’s do it.” After a year, it then grew to over 50 dancers!
After two years with our company, I felt a major transition. I didn’t know exactly what I was supposed to be doing. So many questions are running through my head. I kept it in for a very long time. I didn’t want to leave my family & didn’t leave something that is SO important to my sister and I. After some time, a lot of things started happening. At the time I looked at it negatively, didn’t understand why these things were happening to both my sister and I. I truly believe it was a sign for me to take that next big step. This is when I decided to move to LA to pursue my personal dance career. I was at first very scared to tell my family. I am BEYOND blessed with an amazing family, so they were nothing but supportive. Financially I knew this would be hard. I kept telling myself if it’s supposed to happen … it will happen! AND IT DID! I started receiving teaching opportunities in Los Angeles, things were lining up, everything about it felt right. So here I am now. Going on seven months here. Currently, I teach open classes at Millennium Dance Complex OC and House Dance Complex while training all throughout the week. I also travel on the weekends as a judge for dance competitions, which is a FULL CIRCLE moment for me. I love where I am at and I’m super excited to see what God has in store.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There has been a lot of ups and downs. As far as the last seven months in LA goes, its been very hard at times. I moved away from my family for the first time … across the country. That alone was extremely difficult. I have faced struggles financially, mentally, and physically. All of these struggles and challenges have shaped me into the person I am today, so I am thankful for them. It’s teaching me a lot and making me realize how strong I can be!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a choreographer/mentor, I am proud of how I connect with my students. It is so important to me as an instructor, to give 100% to these dancers who are trusting me and coming to my classes. My goal is to have each dancer challenge themselves, while also leaving class feeling more confident than they came in. This industry can be very harsh. At times you are just constantly being told things negatively. For me, I want to make sure these dancers are growing, while also realizing they have SO much to offer. As a dancer, I’m proud of my work ethic and being able to stay focused and on track towards my goals. I know exactly where I want to be and I will do anything and everything to get to that point.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I feel as though I was pretty introverted. That is something I’ve been trying to break out of. Moving to a new state has definitely broken me out of my shell. I am very thankful for all the people I have met & continue to meet through this journey of mine.
Contact Info:
- Website: margotgarrett.com
- Email: margot.garrett@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @margot_garrett
Image Credit:
Martin O’Connor, Focus Lexi, Faith Fashion & Photos
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