Today we’d like to introduce you to Ardyn Flynt.
Hi Ardyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started dancing in circles when I was four years old. I could never sit still and I loved putting on little performances for my parents so I was thrown in a variety of arts classes – singing, acting, improv comedy, and band….. Dance is the only one that really stuck long-term. I went to North Carolina School of the Arts for my senior year of high school, not far from where I grew up in Hillsborough, NC. There, I studied contemporary dance and ballet intensively enough to earn my acceptance into the inaugural class of the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance in 2015. Moving to Southern California for college was thrilling – I was extremely fortunate to help pioneer the formation of USC’s dance school along with 32 other brilliant young dancers and scholars. The program was unique in that it prized a multi-disciplinary thinker and hybrid artist within the context of a conservatory-level training program. I was able to learn from incredible mentors such as William Forsythe, d. Sabela Grimes, Moncell Durden, among others. I met some of my best friends and started experimenting with the things that would carry over for me post-grad: dance comedy, teaching, freestyle within street dance forms.
After graduating in 2019, I spent a few months traveling through Europe to teach and train. As a result of my mentee-ship with William Forsythe, I was able to travel to Switzerland and teach Forsythe’s Improvisational Technologies at the ballet school, “Art of.” I was also given the green light to teach “Funkamental MediKinetics,” a Hip Hop based movement system created by USC faculty d. Sabela Grimes. I spent the summer after graduation teaching in various cities as well as traveling to battles to continue training in House and Locking, two street dance forms I had fallen in love with while learning from USC mentor Moncell Durden. I moved back to Los Angeles and began working as a freelance artist. For a few years and throughout the pandemic, my work was extremely eclectic. I taught both Forsythe and Grimes’ movement systems at various studios, as well as completed choreographic residencies at arts high schools around LA. I began gogo-dancing in West Hollywood on the weekends at the famed LGBTQ club, the Abbey. I began dancing with choreographers Amy O’Neal, Aszure Barton, and Sabela Grimes.
Most notably during the pandemic, I began making TikTok videos. The short-form content began as a way to keep me creative in the height of the lockdown and transitioned into something much more. I was able to monetize social media in a way I hadn’t previously considered through paid viewership as well as brand deals. Even more importantly, the commitment to consistent posting and creation allowed me to curate an easily accessible public resume coming out of the pandemic. I began collaborating with internet personality and physical comedian Smac McCreanor, which led to further jobs as well as a foray into the world of dance comedy. One of the individuals that followed my social media journey was New York-based choreographer Ebony Williams. We met briefly during my time at USC, and she had followed my dance journey since via my socials.
In 2021, she reached out to me to come on as her assistant choreographer for Doja Cat’s Coachella set. Coachella solidified a new, beautiful working relationship with Ebony. I began working with her regularly as an associate choreographer, and she opened many doors for me. With Ebony, I helped create for Tate McCrae, Kid Cudi, Doja Cat, and Warner Bros as a part of a new work in Bordeaux, France. Between jobs with Ebony, I began assisting Los Angeles-based choreographer Max Pham additionally. When I wasn’t working with either of them, I was creating short-form comedic and movement-based content for socials alone and with friends. I am currently on tour with Doja Cat as the associate choreographer (associate to Ebony Williams) for her “Scarlet Tour.” When I am home in LA, you can catch me gogo dancing at the Abbey on a Saturday, taking Max Pham’s class at Millenium, or performing in Kat Burns’ monthly “Raggle Taggle Dance Comedy Show.” I hope to continue to create and perform in a multitude of genres and spaces!
Alright, 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 have dealt with an ongoing knee injury…. I have had three meniscus surgeries thus far and am constantly utilizing physical therapy as a way to stay safe while dancing. This has been particularly frustrating to my ego because I have physical limitations that feel out of my control. I cannot dance as freely and with as much abandon as I did prior to the surgeries….. The flip side is that chronic injury has taught me a lot about cross-training and how to seek out and be consistent with physical therapy, which are things I believe all dancers should do, irregardless of injury. My history with injury has also made me all the more grateful for people like Ebony Williams and Max Pham, who opened doors for me in regard to choreography. Being a part of choreo teams has been much safer for my body and given me a bit more autonomy over the range of motion I’m putting my knees through, compared to the role of dancer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
One of my roles is as a choreographic associate – I am an associate to choreographers Max Pham and Ebony Williams with Williams, I have been a part of Doja Cat’s choreo team for four projects so far. As an associate, I help facilitate the head choreographer’s artistic vision by being the embodiment of their movement, rehearsal director, and teacher to the hired dancers, and contributing creatively when needed. With the Doja team specifically and under the tutelage of head choreographer Ebony Williams, I have also developed a working relationship with the artist that allows me to help teach her track, warm her up, and be involved as an artist stand-in when need be. Another of my roles is as a performer/dancer myself. I am particularly interested in the intersections between dance and comedy. I perform for Kat Burns’ “Raggle Taggle Dance Comedy Hour” at UCB in Los Angeles. I also collaborate with dance comedian and performance artist Smac McCreanor. We create short-form content for social media, as well as live-movement comedy sets for the stage. This is the hat I wear that I am the most interested in developing further – I think there is so much room for comedy within dance, and it is a niche that hasn’t been saturated yet. I suppose what sets me apart from other artists is that I do indeed wear multiple hats – choreographer, teacher, performer…. although that is becoming more and more common for creatives as they navigate a gig-based career and post-pandemic entertainment industry that requires the ability to be a jack of all trades.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I wish I realized that a creative career meant a successful career and that a “creative career” in dance could look incredibly diverse. Training in a conservatory-style program, I had a streamlined idea of what my pathway should look like. I wanted to graduate and join a contemporary dance company, preferably in NYC, and stay in company life until I retired to teach. When my path deviated from this course, I had a really hard time pivoting graciously. It took me a while to learn that there are a multitude of ways to be successful, and sometimes the best opportunities you receive are the ones you were never looking for.
Contact Info:
- Website: ardynflynt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ardundundun/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ardynlouiseflynt/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKgClzvPwNf3Tw7dV7cRpgA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ardundundun?lang=en
Image Credits
Dori Scott, Ervin Arana, Alissa Roseborough, John Nyboer
