Today we’d like to introduce you to Julian Stokes
Hi Julian, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hey Name is Julian Stokes and I love telling this story. 2012 is where everything started for me with dance. I was originally running track and my first dream was to be in the Olympics for the 400m with team USA. I had a time of 49.8 back then and I was going to college at UNCP so that I could continue that dream. As I was there I got sick through some bad chicken that I ate and caught Salmonella poison. I was hospitalized for 7weeks and then got discharged. After I got discharged I went back to school and I couldn’t keep up with my grades because I fell so behind so I lost my Scholarship that I had with them and ended up in the long run having to give up my dream with Track and move back to my hometown Wilmington NC. I then met up with a old friend from high school and he asked me one day do I wanna try and dance class and I was like why not it sounds like a amazing time and then from there is where I fell inlove with it and its been a everlasting love ever since to known where the culture comes from, and to also embrace music to the fullest. As I was learning I started to become eager to learn more from the Amazing teacher from Monsters of Hip hop, from the team I was on called Physical Graffeti back home, and then also when I moved out to LA Debbie Reynolds Scholarship Program. The one that honed me the most is DRSP because it taught me longevity and how to truly be successful in this industry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One thing for sure it hasn’t been a smooth road I had to move away from my family and I love my mom a lot she means the world to me, but as she say you gotta follow your dream and the fact that she supports me made me know that this is the path that God had for me. Another struggle was just trying to adapt to this lifestyle to being able to put yourself out there and to really show that you can do all the things that a lot of these people do. Its a lot of proving yourself to one yourself and to the world that I am meant to be here and sometimes thats hard to do but I kept pushing and Im finally seeing the light.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Hey guys im Julian Stokes im a Professional Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher. I specialize in Hip hop dance but I also do most styles like I tell people because I love to embrace music to the fullest and sometimes knowing these styles help bring the songs to life. My most proudest moment in this industry is to be able to dance for some of the dopest old school artist because Im such a old soul and the song from the 90s and early 2000s are timeless like Artist like TLC, Keyshia Cole, T pain, Faith Evans, Jordin Sparks and etc. The thing that sets me apart from other is that I really love music I really love stepping myself in the artist shoes and when I dance or create to anything I really love to bring the art to life. I know a lot of people can do this, but when it comes to me I am my own person and my way of hearing this is different and makes you think I never heard that song in that way which is the magic behind it!
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I always say without risk you will never get to anywhere in the dreams you wanna make. Ive taken so many risk from moving out to LA all alone to follow a dream you never know is going to work, but you have to take a chance because life is way to short and if you let life pass you by you will regret the way you live it. So I say be motivated take a risk if it fails which I always say it will not, but if it fails at least you tried at least you put your heart into trying something new and can be happy with any results.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_JulianStokes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julian.t.stokes/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVgI8AREWiN3zrIqgptz0pg
- Other: https://linktr.ee/julian_stokes
Image Credits
Toni Braxton
Kar Dance Convention
TLC
