Life & Work with Nia Mason

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nia Mason.

Hi Nia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Well, my mom was the first to notice my love for dance and music. At a very young age (probably around three years old), she always recalls me dancing and grooving to any beat that came on at any time. If there was music, you could always find me dancing. When I was four years old, she enrolled me into a nearby ballet academy in Atlanta, Georgia so I could learn some poise and daintiness, as she would say. She eventually had the thought that she wanted me to be more versatile, and not just be a ballerina, so she put me in a performing arts studio with every aspect of entertainment, and the rest was history. I fell in love with dancing, singing, acting, writing, directing, producing, comedy, improv and drama all before I learned how to ride a bike. I immediately knew that that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I trained there from the age of four, up until I turned fifteen. I loved my studio, but I wanted to change the direction of my training, so I joined a competition team and trained with them during my junior and senior years of high school. I also became the very first rehearsal director for my high school’s newly formed dance team during my sophomore year, and I remained in that leadership position for three years upon graduating, which is still the longest anyone has been rehearsal director to this day. I committed to the American Musical and Dramatics Academy (AMDA) in Los Angeles, California during my junior year and my life has been a rollercoaster ever since. Moving to LA, meeting new friends and teachers who would soon become close mentors, getting through college via Zoom during the pandemic, renting my first two apartments, and graduating with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in three years this past October has been nothing short of challenging, yet so incredibly rewarding.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Getting to where I am today has had its challenges. I’ve grown into a completely different person than who I was when I started college, even from who I was this time last year. I’ve had to overcome a lot of personal and internal turmoil that I did not expect to go through. In college alone, having to trust myself and who I know I am capable of becoming was probably one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned. I have struggled with comparing myself and my growth to others who have had a completely different journey than me and will continue to experience a different journey. As a dancer and an artist, it is definitely a challenge to not measure our success in comparison to others and what they’ve accomplished. At times we feel like we have to book this job by a certain point in our careers and we have to network with this person so I can get here by this time, and while these factors are important to our craft, I’ve found that for me personally, that won’t keep me happy and it will diminish the love and joy that I have for the arts. Don’t get me wrong, I love a challenge and I’m still giving myself deadlines, but learning to trust the process and trust that my path won’t be the same as everyone else’s has really kept my head above water recently.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in street styles of dance, such as hip hop, heels, jazz funk, and jazz. I also have trained extensively in contemporary, tap, musical theater, theater jazz, ballet, modern, dance improvisation, contemporary partnering, West African styles, Haitian and Bollywood styles. Outside of dance, I have also studied acting, singing, directing, producing, and video editing via FilmicPro, iMovie and Final Cut Pro. Though the industry today is so heavily saturated with talent, I feel as though my level of versatility and willingness sets me apart from the crowd. I genuinely feel as though I can tackle anything when it comes to the entertainment industry. I could excel in dancing on tour, in music videos, on Broadway, or in museums and operas. I could see myself being on a TV series, either in front or behind the camera. I’m confident enough in my abilities to go for a wide array of jobs because I have the tools and knowledge to apply myself to many. many things.

What matters most to you? Why?
I had to think about this question for a while, but I think one of the things that matter most to me is my career/work, and how I balance my relationships in conjunction with that. I love being busy, as that was all I knew from an early age. I’ve always had a dance rehearsal, chorus practice, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meetings, and Honors and AP classes to manage. None of that changed when I got to college. I still remained thoroughly busy with 15-19 credit schedules, production rehearsals ranging from two to five rehearsals a week, and working an outside job, not to mention taking outside classes so I could learn from different teachers if my schedule allowed me to do so. Going through all of that made it clear how much I love consistently working. I have also realized that I naturally surround myself with people that have similar goals, ambitions and mindsets as me, so the busy schedules tend to work out a lot of the time.

Contact Info:

• Website: niamiahmason.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/niamiahmason
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@niamason5234

Image Credits
Josh Rose, Wes Klain