We’re looking forward to introducing you to Nichole LeShawn. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Nichole, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Energy, that’s where it all begins for me. Every color, every sound, every emotion carries a vibration & has an energy field and I feel it. Everything I do starts with energy and nothing feels real without it. If I feel something off, I will not proceed until it feels good to do so. When my energy’s right, clarity comes, productivity flows, and creativity feels endless. At the end of the day, energy is the rhythm that turns every moment into art… and that’s only the beginning.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Nichole LeShawn — an accomplished choreographer, dance teacher, creative director, producer, author, and mentor. For over 25 years, I’ve shaped performances and productions that merge artistry with precision, heart, and vision. From creating dynamic shows that captivate audiences such Cirque du Soleil and the African Oscars to guiding young dancers through their very first steps, first performances and professional career, I bring a dynamic & conscious energy to every project. What makes my journey unique is the ability to elevate entertainment into experiences that awaken the soul, transform, and connect, whether on grand stages such as the Hollywood Bowl or in intimate classrooms.
Through my brand called “The LeShawn Experience”, I’ve built a platform that fuses entertainment with elevated consciousness, empowering parents, children, artist and educators on how to harness energy and the power of the mind as the foundation for growth.
The Leshawn Experience serves as an umbrella for the following businesses:
“Start Smart 4 the Arts” (www.StartSmart4TheArts.com) – An online program and book that guides parents on how to consciously support their child(ren) through all extra-curricular activities while saving time and money. The program delves into how to get started, the pro’s and con’s of the entertainment industry, and energy behind how to move thoughts around in your mind to feel good, on purpose. This isn’t just a program about kids, it’s actually a program designed for adults. It comes with practices and even questionnaires to help the reader to begin thinking differently in terms of energy, but by working on the Self first.
Epoch Fitness – a fitness program designed for each generation. This is a fun dance workout for the masses as it takes you back in time. The program covers the most popular song and dances of each decade (covering dances from the 1940’s – 2020’s), leaving you energized, smiling & connected to the music that shaped your life. My mission is to transform dance and performance into more than movement — it becomes confidence, joy, and self-discovery.
As dance choreographer and teacher (www.NicholeLeshawn.com), I teach children and adults about the power of your own energy, incorporating lesson taught in my book and more. Whether it be on a big stage, a commercial or tiny class, all of my lessons tap into everyone learning how powerful they truly are. I creatively teach how everyone is in charge of their own emotions and happiness. From the youngest child to seniors (and I don’t mean high school seniors), understanding the power of your thoughts and the energy of your happiness is gift that truly last a lifetime.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The moment that shaped how I saw the world was pretty profound. I would say it more so changed how I saw myself and others in the world. During my freshman year of college in Indiana, I was thrilled to have made the dance team and was preparing to leave for a weeklong camp in California, when I unexpectedly passed out and had a seizure in the parking lot. That moment made my first year of college incredibly difficult, but it also changed my life. Fast forward 1 year later, while coaching at a dance studio, I discovered that my assistant coach’s mother (who was nurse) was the one who had helped me regain consciousness the day I had the seizure a one year prior. With tears in my eyes, we called her mother on the spot and I finally had a chance to thank her. After the seizure, it became mandatory for me to get EEG’s (which is a test that measures the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp) every six months, for the next five years of my life. My text were abnormal all five years and being that is was abnormal, it taught me that I wasn’t invincible and that help often comes when we least expect it, and that my health had to become a priority. I’ve only had that one seizure, and after changing my lifestyle and eating habits, all my test results are normal to this day. It took all five years at that time for me to wake up and see where I could make a change within g myself to heal. This was the beginning of my quest to understand how thoughts shaped our reality and how your energy is more important than you think.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be: you have a voice. For so long, I didn’t believe I had the right to speak up, especially at home or around elders. However with friends I could create freely and let my imagination be my expression. It wasn’t until I was in my early thirties, I worked with a remarkable vocal coach, that I truly uncovered this truth. She didn’t just teach vocal techniques; she guided me into the energy of the body, showing me how unhealed trauma can silence the voice, and how healing can set it free. Through one of her writing assignments, I realized that as a child I believed I had no voice at all, which explains why I became a teacher. That discovery reshaped everything, especially why I’ve spent over 25 years teaching, creating, directing, and choreographing: to use my voice, and to inspire others to find and use theirs. So to little Nichole, I would say “you have a voice and your opinion matters. It not only matters, but it means the world and it’s ok for you to use it to speak up. And who knows, your words my help make someone life better.”
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Thus far, yes the public version of me absolutely holds true. What people see is the choreographer, the model, actress, the entertainer; alive, vibrant, and in full color. That energy is real, it’s me, and it’s the part of me that lights up every stage and every room I enter. But the public also sees another truth: the conscious author who isn’t always in the spotlight. I’ve learned that it’s just as powerful to step back, to be intentional, and to embrace my “me time.” Both sides are real, and together they create the full expression of who I am.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
My answer is yes, absolutely! I give my best every single time to everything. The very essence of being a creative artist is to create, not for applause, but for the joy and power of the process itself. I deeply resonate with the teachings of the wonderful Abraham/Esther Hicks: she states, “You didn’t come for the creation, you came for the creating. You didn’t come for the manifestation, you came for the manifesting.” I am absolutely in love with the art of teaching not just the role of being a teacher, and equally in love with the art of being a creative artist. For me, it’s not about recognition, it’s about living fully in the energy of creation. I’m not in this for praise, approval or applause, I do this for the simple, undeniable love of creating.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.NicholeLeshawn.com
- Instagram: NicholeLeshawn
- Facebook: Nichole Leshawn
- Youtube: Choreographer1
- Other: https://www.StartSmart4TheArts.com
Image Credits
AJVfotoworks.com
Poyeyphotos.com
SunnyCreative.com
Ashley T. Hughes
Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse
