Meet Ashalee Nicole Fann of SURFACE LA in Leimert Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashalee Nicole Fann.

Ashalee, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my journey at the age of four taking ballet classes twice a week in Westwood California. I continued training in ballet until my pre-teen years when my ballet teachers had encouraged my grandmother to explore other styles of dance. I simply did not have the body type but they recognized that I was extremely talented. I continued to take ballet, but I started to study jazz and hip hop at a local dance studio. I absolutely fell in love because I was able to apply my technique to these dance styles without being so rigid and with students who looked like me. In my teenage years, Debbie Allen opened a school in Culver City and I was one of the first students to be accepted on a work-study scholarship. I trained with her for several years to come and was given the opportunity to perform in theatrical plays, festivals, and on television.

In college, I pursued dance for the first two years but wanted to follow in the footsteps of Ms. Allen and changed my major to television and film. After graduation, I briefly pursued a career in television but was quickly discouraged due to the recession. I put my dreams on the back burner and entered the corporate world in efforts to support myself. Although I would freelance for TV jobs from time to time, I completely abandoned dance and climbed the corporate ladder and obtained a senior leadership role with a guarantee for continuous career progression. Only one problem, I was unfulfilled, unhappy, and simply felt like a sheep. I realized that I needed to take control of my life and it was not too late to pursue my dreams.

As soon as I remembered who I was, an old dance teacher, Ava Bernstine-Mitchell, contacted me with an opportunity to perform on The Late Late Show with James Corden. I was in full gear and booked more gigs shortly after. Still juggling work, I began to take dance classes again and realized that I wanted to stay in the dance world by any means necessary. A fellow dancer from Debbie Allen, Cathie Nicholas opened a studio and offered me an opportunity to come teach adult classes and I took it. Now that I was back, my spirit led me to take my journey a step further. I felt that it was my calling to pave the way for the next generation of dancers whether or not they had the resources available to them. And from that, collaborating with advisor and friend, Kiana Hicksonbottom, SURFACE LA was born.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. The biggest struggle has been convincing myself that I can make a career out of following my passion. Often times, dancers never stopped dancing and I had a gap of eight years that I needed to make up for. How can I do this knowing that I was setting myself up to walk away from a six-figure career? It didn’t seem smart, but it felt right.

SURFACE LA – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Surface LA is a community-based project (currently awaiting approval for non-profit status).

Our vision is to provide access to the creative arts for children of Los Angeles’ urban communities at little to no cost. We provide extensive training in classical dance technique with the opportunity to explore various dance styles. Participants will gain experience through dance history, guest teachers, and by attending professional dance performances.

Parents also have the opportunity to dance during Movement Mondays, which takes places the day after SURFACE LA dance classes. Movement Mondays was created to empower lovers of dance to move unapologetically without the pressures of a traditional dance class. It frees the mind of anxiety, stress, and uneasiness that comes with the case of “Mondays”. It also allows for the parent and child to bond over their common interest of dance by creating a topic of conversation for car rides, dinners, etc. In a world driven by social media, this is much needed in the household.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moments have been performing as a professional dancer, teaching adult classes, and seeing the development of my Surface LA students.

Pricing:

• One time $50 enrollment fee that is good for a 10 week session; breaks down to $5 per class
• We accept donations at – https://www.gofundme.com/f/surface-la
• Movement Mondays – $10 per class or monthly pass for $32

Contact Info:

• Phone: (323) 207 -5313
• Email: surfacelosangeles@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surfacela_ | https://www.instagram.com/fancimoves
• Facebook: fb.me/SurfaceLA
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/surfacela_
• Other: https://www.gofundme.com/f/surface-la

Image Credit:
SURFACE LA

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