Today we’d like to introduce you to Dayle Embleton.
Dayle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in a small town in the smallest state, Rhode Island! I’m super proud to be from RI or “little Rhody” as we call it! I started dancing at the age of three. When I was four, my mom filed for a divorce and money became tight. The owner of the studio, Jean Deluca was instrumental in me staying in dance as she would work with my mom on ways to lower the cost of classes. When I got a little older, I switched studios and started the whole dance competition thing. I would work at a camp every summer to help my mom pay for classes and the owner Cheryl Cusick would have me help around the studio to lower tuition. Dance was so important to me because I knew how privileged I was to even be able to take all the classes that I did, and I am very grateful for the generous people who have helped me along the way. After high school graduation, I attended AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts in NY first and then transferred to the LA campus. Upon graduation in 2016, I signed with Go 2 Talent Agency and I’m so happy to say I’m still living in LA and building my career as a professional dancer.
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?
Growing up was interesting, My dad was quite abusive and nothing was ever good enough for him. When my parents divorced my mom was actually granted full custody. She ended up deciding she wanted my brother and me to still have a relationship with our dad and agreed on joint custody. I tried really hard to have that relationship with my dad, but once I got to a certain age, I realized that wasn’t what I needed to have in my life and I lived solely with my mom. It is actually really hard to write this because I never know how much to say about it, I have lots of memories that were very traumatic and upsetting. I am thankful for the perspective I somehow had at a young age and was confident in my decisions. I owe so much to my mom for always supporting me and believing in my dreams. It is extremely hard for me to live so far from my mom, and it often makes me feel very guilty. My advice for young women starting their journey is to be bold in your decisions and true to yourself. What you want to do might be so unlike what everyone from your home town does, and that’s ok! Don’t let anyone tell you your dreams are too big. It only sounds crazy until you actually do it. Handle adversity with grace and be proud of yourself. Your “story” makes you who you are, appreciate your perspective on life that is so unique to you.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a professional dancer specializing in Jazz, Contemporary, and Jazz-funk with extensive training in Ballet and Tap. I have had the opportunity to work in television, music videos, corporate events, live stage performances, and I am currently very excited to start working on a job in the musical theatre world! I hope to be known as a reliable, positive, hardworking, professional dancer. I’m most proud of my versatility as a dancer, and being able to perform in so many outlets! I have a passion for Choreography and also love to create my own concept videos to keep the creativity rolling! Fun fact: I am an assistant choreographer for a scholarship program called Distinguished Young Women, DYW is a unique program that allows high school senior girls the chance to win college scholarships that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments. I love working for DYW each summer behind the scenes with both choreography and production!
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I think in most industries, women have been timid in the past to take on leadership roles. I think the dance industry is unique in the way of accepting and not putting emphasis on gender. Maybe it’s because what we do is so different that it gives us a sense of unity, I feel lucky that women before me have pathed the way for our generation to feel empowered to take bigger leadership roles. I know there is still work to do, but I think we should be proud of how far we have come!
Contact Info:
- Email: daylee96@gmail.com
- Instagram: @dayleembleton
- Facebook: @dayleembleton96
Image Credit:
Amy Kristen, Keith Fung, Alyssa Park, FD Media
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