Meet Jenna Walasek

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Walasek.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am originally from Adelaide, South Australia, which is where I grew up and my love for performing started. I had been in dance class since I was a kid but my dream of moving to LA started at 17 years old when I saw Christina Aguilera’s concert and couldn’t take my eyes off the dancers! I booked my first Professional Dance job that same year. From there, I kept training and went to college at ACArts, where I graduated a few years later with a Bachelor in Dance Performance. My love for dance kept growing and after spending years professionally working and performing in Australia, I knew I needed to spread my wings, catch my dreams, and make the move to LA. I went for it, got my O1 Work Visa and have been living and working in LA for the past five and a half years. I have been blessed to do what I love for a living, and feel so lucky to continue to live a lifestyle that is focused around my art, and what makes me happy. It takes A LOT of hard work and resilience, especially in this industry, but it’s worth it!

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?
Hmm no! It has been full of twists and turns, but I guess the hard moments have made the highs that much sweeter and made me appreciate every success, and success in the small things too. Some of the struggles have been with rejection… auditions, for different jobs, even in class! For every ‘yes’ in this industry, there are a hundred ‘no’s'”! I have also struggled with living situations, injuries (my foot got run over by a tractor once), visa issues and delays, body image, not being the right look. I even had someone once tell me, after getting to the final round of a long day of auditioning, that I was “too big for the costumes”. Crazy! Haha. This city sure teaches you how to let things roll off your back, and develops you a thick skin! You gotta laugh at some of these struggles, they give you good stories! It has also been a struggle living away from my family in Australia, and all the huge life events I have missed like weddings, birthdays, etc. I have had to make a huge sacrifice in order to follow my heart and my dream in LA!

What else should our readers know?
I am a Professional Dancer who is trained in Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Salsa. I work in live stage performances, music videos, films, for industrials, commercials and on TV shows.

What were you like growing up?
When I was little, I used to love putting on performances for the family, leading aerobics classes on the lawn, climbing trees, collecting caterpillars and playing in my cubby house. I used to love playing with my younger brothers and going riding to the creek. I was a bit of a tomboy. I also liked visiting my grandparent’s house where we would play cards, push each other in the wheelbarrow, eat sweets, hang off the clothesline outside and pick fruit off the trees. I was sensitive and even as a child used art to express myself. I loved creating stories, playing different characters and making up games about make believe worlds.

Contact Info:

• Email: jennawalasek@gmail.com
• Instagram: @jennawalasek

 
Image Credit:
Jessica Seidel, Wes Klain

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