Life & Work with Kelly Sweeney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Sweeney.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up doing muscial theater with my older sister, but I didn’t start actual dance training til I was about 10 years old. At first, it was just for fun. I enjoyed competing with my friends and I was passionate about dance as a hobby. I started watching the elite dancers at the competitions I went to, and that’s when my eyes were opened to the possibilities dance could bring me to. I was so inspired. By the time I was 12, I was competing in the elite category. I started homeschooling and spending all my time in the studio training. When I was 15, I got signed to MSA agency, a professional dance agency that started sending me to dance auditions and booking me on professional jobs. Since then, I’ve danced for artists such as JLO, I’ve appeared in movies such as “The Prom” on Netflix, I’ve been on numerous TV shows including “Love Victor” on Hulu.

When the pandemic hit and all the studios were closed, I started pushing myself to create more choreography of my own. I started teaching on zoom every week, which pushed me creatively, and I started posting my work. I got a lot of attention toward my choreography, and I found out that I connect well with kids and people through teaching. When work and studios opened back up, I was invited to teach at LA’s biggest studios, Playground LA and Millennium Dance Complex. Soon after that, I was offered weekly teaching slot at Millennium, which is one of the world’s most recognized dance studios. Along with my teaching and choreography, I still dance professionally. I was just in Nickelodeon’s Christmas special and ABC’s School House Rock Anniversary Special which is available to watch on Hulu or Disney+.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve dealt with injuries, specifically in my ankles, since they’re sensitive. In these times, I’ve always kept training myself by doing exercises that don’t require my ankles, to stay strong and come back to my work smoothly.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a professional dancer and choreographer. I’m 20 years old and started teaching at 17. I have taught in Paris, France; Buenos Aires, Argentina; San José, Costa Rica; and assisted choreography in Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India, and Singapore. I was one of the lead choreographers on NBC’s “Dancing with Myself”, I’ve assisted choreography on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and ABC’s “School House Rock sing along”. I also danced and choreographed a commercial for Western Digital, and choreographed for two Theater Productions at the Sierra Madre Playhouse: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Seussical. I am a weekly teacher at Millenium Dance Complex, and I teach a master classes at different dance studios in Los Angeles, Houston, Utah as well as at different dance conventions. As a dancer, I have worked in films like “The Prom”, on TV show like “Love Victor” and “Total Eclipse”. Musical Specials from Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and ABC and multiple Music Videos (Emily Perry, Ky Baldwin, Coffey Anderson, Jojo Siwa, Kylie Cantral) and live performances at Vidcon for Disney Channel “The Descendants” and danced for JLO at the Vax LIVE: the Concert to Reunite the World.

Because of my experience in the professional world, I have now ventured deeper into teaching, and what I’m most proud of is the impact I’ve had on my students.

What matters most to you? Why?
My family matters most to me because they have supported me through my entire career, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellysweeney1/?r=nametag
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPkPZW0QgA7bqVTdg_FfwRA
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0842147/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 

Image Credits
All photographs were taken by Monsee Wood