Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooklyn Jai.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
my name is Brooklyn Jai and I am a choreographer, creative director, dancer, recording artist, stylist, entrepreneur, you name it I can do it, born from a small town in Stockton ca, I always had big dreams to be on stage, traveling the wold and becoming a star when I was a little boy, but coming from a small town like Stockton, there’s not many who dream, or who will push you into that dream, but luckily I had my amazing mom Lorraine Rainey who was a single mother of six, who also had big dreams and aspiration, push me too where I am today, shot out to my mommy.. because if it wasn’t for her support, love and giving me the tools and dreams to be anything I wanted to be, I dont know where I would be today!! How I got my start in dance is because I had joined a dance group in stockton called sic wit it, which was a group of other talented dreamers, who in my case were already at a professional level!! I was so inspired and in aw with them, because the whole city knew their name, and I just knew I wanted to be a part of that!! we were doing shows after shows and becoming supper stars, battling different dance groups and becoming number one everywhere we went! eventually people started to move on and the group went our separate ways, and thats when I knew I wanted to take it to the next level . .so I took $1800 and packed up everything I had and moved to Los Angeles!! Not knowing the hustle, and having lots of dream but not enough funds .. I ended up homeless on the streets of North Hollywood for about 7 months, sleep in the Tujunga park, but I had to stay focused and keep moving forward if I wanted my dream to happen .. so in the day I would sleep, as much as I could come it was safer and I would get up to go train at a studio called millennium dance complex, which I will forever be grateful for! It was my home, my safe haven, and where all the big fish trained, including the mega stars!! one day I was headed to another studio called THE EDGE which was in Hollywood, I had took the bus across town to take my friend and mentor class Leslie Scott, and when I got off the bus a man approached me and asked if I did tv and film, and my quick response was .. why yes I do!! I was lying, but if there was anything I learned out in hollywood, was fake it to you make it!! so he said great, here’s my card, we are looking for people to do extra work for tv shows like UPN Girlfriends, and One on one and other extra work if you are interested! so I went and signed up, and was doing all kinds of extra work and collecting checks which was gong to be my way out of being homeless, so I trained in dance.. and did extra work saving up $5,000. well one day I went to go cash all of my checks cause at the time I didn’t have a bank account, and went to go look at a small place for myself that I could afford, loved it, got approved, and was told to come back and bring a deposit! so I went to a gas station on Moorpark and Vineland to change my clothes because I wanted to look presentable, and when I was in the gas station bathroom changing my pants .. I guess my all the money I had cashed fell out of my sweats so when I went to go get a money order for the deposit was Gone!! it really set me back, I was devastated, and ready to give up.. hollywood has spit me up and chewed me out and I didn’t know how much more I could take!! so one day I went to millennium to train with another amazing choreographer named Shane sparks, and he had offered me a spot on a tour with an artist called Angel Faith!! instantly I said yes, and was so grateful because one I could make money and two I will be on the road and sleeping in hotels and living my dream!! so I traveled for two years with this artist across the country, and when i came back I was able to get my own spot, and also had a a huge job under my belt .. so I went to apply to be a teacher at millennium dance complex and the manager jin lee gave me a sub spot .. well that night in my class I had over a hundred people in my class, which led me to getting my own slot Monday and weds 7pm for years, creating a huge name for myself with my fast paced, Fullout choreo, dancers from across the world started to come experience my class!! we would train on Mondays and film on weds , and that night after class I would upload our dance videos which exploded the internet!! quickly my name grew across the world, and I was getting offers to fly to Russia, china, Paris, Oslo, Japan, even Africa! My success has gotten me to work with, some amazing Artist like Iggy Azalea, J Balvin, YG, French Montana, MYA, Kat deluna, Diplo, China Mcclain, Debroh Cox, just to name a few! I am recently on a Dance convention called Hollywood Connections who is run by my amazing Boss Bill Bohl who was all a force to be reckoned with when he was a dancer!! I am grateful to be apart of this tour because it opened up my fan base to a whole new generation, from babies to teens!! right now I am currently working on a New Album, of my own, and choreographing and touring with the Iconic Mya! I was always running a very popular food truck with my partner Ramon, called king Me Tacos, which became a hit in north hollywood with the neighborhood.. we unfortunately sold the truck only because we got super busy we touring, but I am now currently looking to get a new truck and brining the joy and good fried hardshell tacos back to North Hollywood! My whole career and existence is based off hard work, dedication, and still able to dream!! I still have a long way to go, but I also feel like the journey is an exciting and crazy ride!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
some of my struggles along my journey has been fighting for a spot in hollywood, you know your good, and have so much talent . but its a struggle to get in the door sometimes!! even till this day, its so true when they say its who you know!! thats why I make is point to create my own lane and work hard to open my own doors!!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a celebrity choreographer / teacher and a recording artist, so most of my time I am putting together shows and choreography for artist for tour, Music videos and tv, or im in the recording studio working on my album which has also been a really fun experience, a lot of money but super fun!! I can’t wait for people to hear it! what I am known for is my fast paced high energy choreo and vision!! fashion, and what set me apart from the rest is that I am who I am, and I dont apologize for it!! one day im androgynous looking, fem or masculine.. and I love that I dont put myself in a box just to please anyone!! the only thing that matters to me is how I feel !!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I do feel like the industry that I am in changes everyday, and I see it growing bigger and bigger, and if your not smart enough to put your body of work out there or strong enough to keep up, then you will fall behind and get left behind!! but I will say to not fall into any of that, you must start your own trends and create you own legacy!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Thebrooklynjai.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrooklynjai/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooklyn.jai
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrooklynJaiStudio
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/brooklyn-jai/pose?si=5565e4306d1144bebbf581f069a153a9&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Image Credits
kip Rainey
Nikki Varela
