Meet Justine Lutz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justine Lutz.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started dancing at three years old. I watched my older sister at her recital, pointed, and said to my parents, “I want to do that.” I competed in the studio competition circuit growing up. When I was about 11 years old, I started traveling to Los Angeles and New York City for dance conventions in the summer.

During weekends, I traveled to different conventions wherever I found a cheap flight from my home state Minnesota. To this day, I feel dance conventions helped me grasp a variety of styles and awaken who I was as an individual. While at conventions, I met incredible friends that I am still close with that live in Los Angeles where I live now. I was a junior in high school and decided to opt-out of the dance studio competition realm. I had quite a tough time at the last studio I was at. Looking back, it made me develop a tough skin that I utilize now. I decided to focus my energy on my grades and traveling to conventions to start creating relationships with choreographers preparing to work within Los Angeles or New York City.

During my senior year of high school, I made the decision to go to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles over SUNY Purchase in upstate New York. I studied dance and communications. At the time, this was a huge choice, I was focusing more toward the commercial dance industry compared to the concert world. To be honest, I always envisioned myself going to college in New York and becoming part of a prestigious contemporary company. I attended Dance Awards and the Pulse Summer Nationals in New York City after deciding which college to attend. At the Pulse dance convention, I auditioned for elite protege for upcoming year Pulse convention dates and was awarded a spot. The program of elite protege was highly regarded in the dance convention world because it allowed you to train and be mentored by some of the most respected and high demand choreographers in the commercial dance industry.

After I graduated from high school, I moved to Los Angeles and attended Loyola Marymount University on the weekdays and traveled to Pulse cities on the weekends. In hindsight, I feel this year was very pivotal. On the weekends, I was rigorously training and assisting choreographers who I admired to the utmost. I kept my feet on the ground and my mind open and worked day in and day out to absorb as much as I could from the incredible opportunity. While assisting, I was contacted by an agency that wanted to represent me. I decided to leave college after the year and move into an apartment to give my undivided attention to dance because I felt happier dancing on the weekends to college weekdays.

When I left college, I settled into my apartment in Los Angeles. After a month, I booked my first job, which was Teen Choice awards with Paramore. Whoa! I was ecstatic and grateful. Fast forward, I’ve been in Los Angeles for seven years. It has been a rollercoaster full of rejection, euphoria, emotion, adventure, confusion, loneliness and happiness. I remember taping up my vision board to my mirror cluttered with goals and artists I wanted to dance behind. Everyday, I would look at them and slowly cross off each one. I have had the pleasure to work on several television shows like Glee, Ellen, TODAY show; music videos like “Shake It Off” with Taylor Swift, “Limitless” with Jennifer Lopez, “Lost In Your Light” with Dua Lipa, “Dont” with Ed Sheeran, “Something In The Water” with Carrie Underwood; tours like P!NK, iHeart Jingle ball, and Hailee Steinfeld; a touring contemporary company called Shaping Sound; festival/awards shows like American Music, iHeart, Country Music, and Rock in Rio. The commercial dance industry is very confusing, but it is 100% worth it. I’d like to think integrity, hard work and perseverance keep you on your path whatever that is, and however hard it is. You know that you can make it happen with the support of people believing in you and your attitude towards it all.

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?
I believe life is truly lived when there is a vastness of color, light and dark. How do we know happiness if we don’t know sadness? I think I would feel completely out of sorts if it was easy. To me, anything I’ve done that has been worth doing required blood, sweat and tears. I want to strive to be alive rather than living everyday.

I remember as a young child, I pushed back against the norm. It wasn’t on purpose but just what my decisions lead me to. Once I made a decision, I was committed to stick to it even if it meant I was vulnerable or going against the grain. I was so passionate to get my hands onto anything physical and creative. I tried my hand at every sport and hobby.

During middle school years, I wanted to focus my attention to one sport. I chose dance over gymnastics. During that time, with the support of my family, I decided to travel to NYC and Los Angeles in the summer to get different dance training. All my peers in comparison kept to dance studio training all season. Another example of a struggle as a teenager was the pressure of high school varsity dance team. It was an unspoken rule; if you were a dancer, you must audition for the team. I went with the flow and did what everyone else did. I was asked to be in varsity with three other freshmen. Day one, I quit. It wasn’t for me. I guess the path to my career was a struggle because I didn’t do what every other dancer did that was around me. To each, his own is a true statement! But it’s really hard as an impressionable child to not go with the group. It made me internalize quite a lot. In retrospect, I am proud of little Justine for sticking to what felt right for her.

Fast forward to my commercial dance career in Los Angeles. Every moment where I have a choice, I analyze thoroughly if an experience feels right for me and where I want to go. I think sticking to who you are can sometimes feel limiting and uncomfortable but I try to remind myself it’s only going to offer the right experience. The dance industry can chew you up and spit you out but I believe mental resilience is key. It’s how you react and how you get up!

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a professional dancer in Los Angeles. I sometimes teach and choreograph worldwide. I work specifically in the commercial dance world which is award shows, television, music videos, movies and live stage performances. I am trained in ballet, pointe, musical theater, jazz, tap, contemporary, freestyle, and hip hop.

I believe my versatility in dance styles sets me apart. Because I have a hunger to learn, I am always curious and searching for new perspective, styles, artistic visions, and opportunity. I will always be a student. Mastering and specializing in something isn’t a destination. It is a continuous journey. Therefore, I find passion in grabbing as much as I can in the vastness of the dance world.

Integrity and honesty are other characteristics I am proud of as a human and as a dancer. I strive to logically and realistically be honest with myself and my goals. I am not one to think of myself with my head in the clouds but more my feet on the ground focused straight ahead with hope. I’d like to think adaptability is very important. Flexible, but knowing your limit so you don’t become part of the crowd. Truth gets you where you want to be, even if it hurts. Truth is like light, it will always shine through darkness. It’s consistent and cannot be disputed.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
As a dancer, I am most proud of booking P!NK’s Beautiful Trauma world tour. We finished the tour just before 2020. I traveled the world for two years with an amazing group of dancers and crew not to mention the best boss! Alignment comes to mind when I reflect on the job. I always envisioned a tour that was multifaceted styles and that I would have an opportunity to freestyle as a soloist. Somehow by the grace of it all, my vision became my reality! It was not easy to get there! I previously was rejected for three other artist tours, which I was one of the last five dancers to be booked. Many times I felt like I was pounding at a concrete wall in hopes of booking an artist world tour. Perseverance, integrity and hard work are real things to be proud of! I am nothing though without the help of others believing in me and also the support of my family. But I can sit down by myself and say, you did that Justine. I’m proud of that!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.justinelutz.com
• Email: jayylutz@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayylutz/

Image Credit:
Lee Gumbs, Ashley Barker, Thorsten Lamers, and Dave Brewer

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