Today we’d like to introduce you to Jules Mara.
Hi Jules, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in the South, in the Austin area of Texas, where storytelling, ritual, and atmosphere were deeply embedded in everyday life. My childhood was shaped by contrasts — beauty and fear, devotion and rebellion, tradition and imagination. That environment left a lasting imprint on how I move, create, and see the world.
Dance became my first language. I trained across ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, heels, and character work, and early on I was drawn not just to technique, but to narrative — the emotional and psychological worlds movement could create. That curiosity led me to the California Institute of the Arts, where I earned my BFA in Dance in 2023. CalArts gave me the freedom to experiment, to question form, and to expand beyond a single discipline, allowing my interests in choreography, costume, and set design to merge into one cohesive practice
After graduating I stayed in Los Angeles and began building a multidisciplinary career rooted in performance, visual design, and creative direction. My work today is an extension of both my Southern upbringing and my formal training — a space where memory, fantasy, and embodied storytelling coexist.
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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road — and I don’t think it’s meant to be. One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to sustain a multidisciplinary artistic practice in a world that often wants you to choose just one lane. Working across dance, choreography, and design has meant continually advocating for an integrated approach rather than compartmentalizing my work. There’s also been the emotional challenge of creating work rooted in personal memory and lived experience. Projects like Repent required a level of vulnerability that can be difficult to hold — sharing pieces of my past, my upbringing, and my internal world while trusting they would be received with care.
What has made all the difference is community. I am held by the people around me here in Los Angeles — fellow artists, collaborators, and friends who continue to show up, believe in my work, and remind me why it matters. I truly could not do this without my partner and my chosen family, who provide grounding, encouragement, and space to dream when the path feels uncertain.
Building a creative life after graduating has required patience, adaptability, and faith in long-term growth rather than immediate visibility. The challenges have ultimately sharpened my voice and deepened my commitment. I’m still learning, still evolving, but I move forward knowing I’m not doing it alone — and that has made all the difference.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a multifaceted artist working at the intersection of contemporary dance, choreography, and fashion design. My practice is highly narrative-driven — I treat movement, clothing, and environment as equal storytelling tools. I specialize in emotionally charged, atmospheric work that often leans into the surreal, the uncanny, and the gothic. Much of my artistic voice is rooted in what I call a Southern Gothic world — one built from childhood memories, lived experiences, and reimagined fantasies of the South. Religion, devotion, shame, desire, and transformation frequently appear in my work, not as literal representations, but as emotional textures.
My most proud piece, Repent (2023), fully embodies this world. Repent is a choreographic work that pulls directly from my Southern upbringing, exploring themes of religious pressure, guilt, ritual, and personal reclamation. It exists in the space between memory and myth — a world I constructed from fragments of my past and reshaped through movement, costume, and atmosphere. Creating Repent felt like both an excavation and an act of authorship: taking what shaped me and transforming it into something intentional and self-defined. What sets me apart is my ability to synthesize disciplines seamlessly. My background in diverse dance styles allows me to move fluidly between genres, while my skills in costume, set design, and creative direction allow me to fully realize a concept from idea to execution. I’m deeply invested in aesthetic cohesion — every choice is deliberate, and every element serves the emotional world of the work.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I believe art becomes powerful when it’s honest — when it’s willing to sit in discomfort, contradiction, and vulnerability. My work is deeply personal, but it’s never meant to be isolating. I create in hopes that others see fragments of themselves reflected back, even if the world I build feels strange or dark at first glance. I’m always seeking collaborators who value depth, atmosphere, and intentionality, and I’m excited to continue expanding this Southern Gothic universe through performance, design, and interdisciplinary projects.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Jules_mara
- Facebook: @Relicsforever
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@julesmara8347?si=qPYpDcq9aOe9IFe2
Image Credits
Hope spears for Torrent photos
Mae Kail personal portraits
@shopangeltheory doll house
