Check Out Kathryn Eaddy’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn Eaddy.

Kathryn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
3 years ago, I moved across the country from Ashburn, Virginia, to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a creative career in dance and the arts. I have always had a passion for music and grew up performing in musicals, singing, and playing guitar and piano.

In 2014, when I was 19 years old, I began to teach myself online how to shuffle after being introduced to the EDM community in 2013. I was going through depression at that time due to being a college dropout, feeling like I was failing in life and suffering through a challenging body focused repetitive disorder (BFRB) that I have called Excoriation Disorder.  I first saw shuffling at a music festival and was drawn to the freedom within the dance and decided to learn. I did not believe I had the skills to be a real dancer and thought I was too old to pursue dance professionally. However, I loved EDM music, and shuffling seemed so cool that I began to practice every day online from YouTube videos. I didn’t think it would go anywhere; it was simply a way to release the emotions of the depression I was facing over where I was in life and express to the music I loved.

I began to post videos on Instagram when the video feature was still new to the platform, and not a lot of people knew about shuffling. I continued to practice and fall more and more in love with the shuffle dance community. In 2016, I connected with a local shuffle dance community called the DMV Shuffle Circle and in 2017, I began to travel out of state to connect with other shufflers and grow within the community. I expanded my dance knowledge and created lifelong friendships.  My outlook on life grew more positive by continuing to lead with passion within the shuffle dance community.

Over the last 10 years, shuffling as a professional dance style has taken off. I have had the opportunity to connect with shuffle communities across the world, perform at major electronic music festivals, teach shuffle dance classes across the US for kids and adults, work with major brands, reach the top 16 in the biggest shuffle battle in the US, and collaborate with many dancers from all over the world.

Shuffling changed my life and set me on a path into the professional dance world that I did not believe could ever be possible for me when I was 19 and just learning for fun and to escape the depression I was facing. Shuffling truly gave me everything and in 2021 I decided to drive across the country in my Toyota Corolla from Virginia to Los Angeles to pursue the opportunities Los Angeles can offer for dance.

When it comes to my Excoriation disorder, it is a disorder I have been challenged with since I was 6 years old. It is a compulsion to pick at skin to the point of bleeding and scarring. I grew up thinking I was alone in having the disorder, but I discovered I was not alone in 2016 and that there was a community of others suffering from the same thing. When I discovered that, I made it my mission to spread awareness by connecting with the BFRB community across the world and going on the Dr. Oz Show in 2019 to speak on the topic. I have been able to combine spreading awareness with my love for dance and have taught Shuffle classes at the TLC BFRB National Conference.

In the future, I hope to continue to grow within the Shuffle community and do what I can to help continue to bring professionalism to the Shuffle community. I hope to continue to raise awareness for BFRBs, dance until I can’t anymore, and one day reconnect with my childhood love of singing, making music, and playing instruments. I truly believe that a key to happiness is to chase what naturally excites you and what you have a passion for, and the path will be revealed through your love and dedication towards it.

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?
When I dropped out of college at 19, I was working in a retail store, living at home, and at the time, I didn’t believe I would succeed in doing anything I loved. I felt left behind and thought I was a failure as I struggled to see my friends from High School succeeding through their path in college. I didn’t believe I had the power to move out of my hometown and was struggling to figure out what could be next for me. I went to my first electronic music show in 2013 and was introduced to the EDM community, and it felt like a place where I felt accepted and belonged. Through the EDM community, I discovered Shuffling and began to teach myself less than a year later.

Moving to Los Angeles in 2021, when I was 26, was a challenge in and of itself. I had never lived outside of my parents’ home in Virginia, and within 2 months of moving to LA, I became unemployed, lost my roommate, had no permanent place to live, moved 9 times, and totaled my car. I truly had lost everything, and for a brief moment, I considered moving back to Virginia and giving up… but I had already felt the magic of Los Angeles and seen the potential there was to pursue my creative passions and knew I would regret giving up forever. I continued to push forward and eventually got back on my feet and moved into my first apartment in November of 2021 by myself. The stability allowed me to explore the creative opportunities I moved here for.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work as a shuffle dancer and am known for my quick footwork to a fast, energetic style of music called Psytrance. I am extremely proud that I got to lead the first-ever team of shuffle dancers to perform at Dreamstate Music Festival, the biggest trance festival in the US, in 2022 and 2023. I am one of the pioneers in the Shuffle performance industry and have performed as the first Shuffle dance team for Hard Summer Music Festival and Groove Cruise. I have taught Shuffle classes at the Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles for ages 5-13 and have taught adult Shuffle classes in Hollywood, Chicago, Washington DC, and on Groove Cruise. I am proud of my partnerships with Reebok, Michelob Ultra, Ophelia Records, and more.

Outside of dance, I am proud of the mental health awareness I have raised for my Excoriation disorder in the BFRB community and specifically being featured on Dr. Oz to speak on it.

I am set apart from other Shuffle dancers for the precision and speed of my footwork and have had multiple videos go viral due to it. I definitely have the quickest feet in the Shuffle community! I bring awareness to the history of Shuffling, which developed in the black communities in the UK back in the 1980s. I am a pioneer in my community and was among some of the first Shuffle dancers to post Shuffle videos on Instagram in 2014 when video was still new to the platform. Over the years, I have developed my content creation skills and have created professional concept dance videos, tutorials, and collaborations that have been loved and valued within our community.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice is to find a mentor who genuinely inspires you in the way they think, the art they create, the success they have achieved, their morals, their values… It might be one person who encompasses everything or many people. A mentor does not always have to be someone who you connect with 1 on 1. You can find mentors through books, podcasts, and, these days, online through social media. You will naturally be drawn to your mentors and be curious as to why they inspire you.

I have had the honor of connecting and working with my favorite artists simply because of the genuine appreciation I have shown for their art and using their art as inspiration to create my own authentic art. When you find yourself inspired, reach out to that person and show authentic love and support! Social media allows us to connect to the people that inspire us in a way that hasn’t always been possible. Utilize that.

Networking, to me, is just connecting with people who are like-minded and discovering how their life experiences got them to where they are today and exploring how you could create impactful works together or with their guidance. It opens you up to the possibility of creating more meaningful art together. One of the beauties of life is the ability to connect with new people. We are all going through the human experience together. Networking should feel fun and natural, and when it feels forced, then that might not be the person that you should network with or seek as a mentor.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katcreated.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathryneaddy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathrynead/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN75oIxAi7Zdsz9wabMHq7A
• Other: Tiktok: @kathryneaddy