Rising Stars: Meet Ansley Grace Hamilton of Silver Lake

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ansley Grace Hamilton.

Hi Ansley Grace, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I have been performing. It’s in my DNA. As soon as I could walk I made the fireplace my stage. My mother was completely delighted, as she was an actress herself, and threw me into dance classes at the age of 2. Finances were tight but she cleaned the studios so I could take lessons for free. The spark grew and by the time I turned 4 I was inspired to have my birthday party at the local children’s theatre. My mom wrote a show for my friends and me to learn and perform and even recorded their parts on cassette tapes which she mailed to each guest. Hilarious in retrospect. When we got to the theatre, we realized they had their own format ready to go. Of course they were surprised at my mom’s prep, but went ahead and let us do what she planned anyway. It was a wild success and they were so impressed with her that they offered her a job as a director on the spot! I got to grow up under her direction all the way up until middle school.

Somewhere along the way my passion for choreography was born and over the years my mom and I have had ample opportunities to work as a team on many different projects together. I pursued musical theatre in both high school and college, graduating from Emerson College with a BFA and eventually getting to travel the country for 2 years as a swing on the Broadway National Tour of Fiddler On The Roof. Currently I am living in LA creating when and where I feel called.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ha! Far from it. I was usually the youngest in the cast and so I was exposed to a lot of mature content as a child. That lead to a serious rebellious streak and I started using drugs and alcohol at 15. While nepotism created a confident teenager who did thrive in her high school theatre program, my personal life bang to dwindle, and that spark faded. I auditioned for 5 musical theatre programs but ultimately was only accepted into Emerson College — which was way out of our budget. The school allowed me to defer for a year so I could reapply for financial aid and work to save money. While I was deeply grateful, I had no idea the horrors that year would hold. I entered an extremely toxic relationship which ended in trauma that I had zero tools to navigate.
When I got to Emerson, I had serious PTSD. I did not thrive in college, in fact I was failing most of my classes, paralyzingly depressed, and eventually put on meds that would further suppress my light. I continued self-medicating to numb my pain, feeling absolutely lost and unworthy. I graduated underprepared with very little confidence, and made the move to New York to blindly follow dreams that felt so far out of my reach. Auditions were a rude awakening as I repeatedly got cut. Rejection became a weekly occurrence and my belief system was fueled by negative voices telling me I would never be good enough. I wasn’t dancing anymore, still using, and working a catering job that sucked the absolute life force out of me. Chaotic, dark times.
By 2019, I hit a rock bottom that woke something up in me. What am I doing with my life?? Why am I so unhappy? I needed a serious shift. Soon thereafter I heard about a work study opportunity at Steps on Broadway- and that’s where I began to tap into my potential again. 6 moths later Covid hit and the world froze, but I was feeling alive again. I placed myself in locations where I had access to a studio and used the time to train. Once I intentionally shifted my inner dialogue, my confidence began to grow. That hard work paid off and in 2021 I FINALLY booked the swing track. I spent 2 insane years on the road understanding my energy as a performer again as well as surviving a spiritual initiation that altered my entire perspective of reality. Two back injuries and one concussion later, I left tour knowing I would have to take the time to piece my body and brain back together. My spirit could not go back to the hustle of NYC. After a great deal of physical therapy I was pulled to LA with the intention to start over, keep healing and slowly re-enter the industry when I felt ready.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I moved to LA in 2023 I had zero plan and was in full surrender mode. Very quickly I was given the opportunity to choreograph and assistant direct the shows at Maranatha High School in Pasadena. It has been a magical experience. I have an amazing team and our program has grown leaps and bounds the last few years! We are being recognized for our excellence and have been invited to attend the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland summer of 2027. Teaching, knowing what I know now, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I get to show teenagers they have limitless potential and watch them step into their power. They blow me away.

In 2024 I broke into the vertical industry which has been a fun platform to segue from stage to film. I’ve been bopping around between those two worlds ever since I got to LA with much success and a hunger to continue pursuing creation in many different forms. It’s been a whirlwind and my journey has been a slow burn, but as I keep allowing the story to unfold, I trust the universe to place me EXACTLY where I am supposed to be.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I hope my story can remind others that it is never too late to pursue what you are passionate about. You can ALWAYS turn your life around no matter what age you are or how far you’ve strayed from the path. There is a spark of creation alive in all of us, we just have to remember who we are.

Also, I am currently seeking representation as I continue to follow my acting dreams. If my story resonated with you, let’s connect!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ansleygracehamilton.com/
• Instagram: @ansleygracehamilton_

Image Credits
Angela Richardson, Katie Mollison, Adrea Scheidler, Sofia Belhouari