THE SPARK OF INTEREST

Marion, Indiana is a small town residing about 20 thousand people. Riding bikes at the nearby park, attending a high school basketball game, and hanging out at Steak n’ Shake were the highlights of a good day in Marion. Many people from such a small town dream about leaving and relocating to a more adventurous place; however, not many actually seek out to do so. Well, KiLeigh was an exception.

Raised in a house with three other sisters, KiLeigh was surrounded by excitement and chaos. Her parents were both athletes back in the day, so throwing their kids in sports was a no-brainer. Her mom said that KiLeigh and her sisters were crazy children who couldn’t stop moving and dancing around the house, so dance classes seemed essential. Her older sister took tap, jazz, and ballet, so KiLeigh followed her lead. At the age of three, KiLeigh took her first tap class. From there on, a love sparked and flourished.

At the age of ten, she auditioned for an off-broadway show called Tap Kids — it was based out of Tarrytown, New York. Initially, KiLeigh and her older sister auditioned for the Tap Kids workshop, which they both made. However, during the workshop the company announced that they were creating an off-broadway show. A little anxious, KiLeigh auditioned for the part. Months later, a letter arrived to the Williams’ house. Out of the 60 kids, KiLeigh was chosen as one of the 9 dancers and also being the youngest. Throughout the next 9 years, KiLeigh danced at 45 out of the 50 states, she toured Mexico and Holland, and danced at the International Fringe Festival in Scotland.

“It was the biggest break, and the most enlightening experience in my life. Still to this day, I can’t believe that happened. ” -KiLeigh Williams

COLLEGE YEARS

For many of us, college is a big decision that is thoroughly researched and discussed before choosing. Due to her busy schedule of dancing with Tap Kids and teaching classes at a nearby dance studio, KiLeigh didn’t have much time to decide on a university.

Originally, she wanted to major in dance and applied to two universities that were interested in her for their dance programs. However, after a long talk with her old sister, KiLeigh decided on something different. Her sister mentioned Point Park University to her, mostly because of the outstanding dance program, but also because of location and the variety of other majors. KiLeigh realized that after so many years of dance, she was kind of burned out. She didn’t want to ruin her passion for dance, so she did not want to major in it. On the plus side, Point Park did offer Forensic Science, a major she had a huge interest it. Pittsburgh was the perfect distance from home for KiLeigh and she knew she could still be involved with dance if she desired.

She couldn’t stay away from dance for too long. During her freshman year, she auditioned for Point Park’s hip-hop dance club, Impulse. It was the perfect fit because it wasn’t too time consuming and it was fun for her. During her junior year, KiLeigh took on the role of president of Impulse. The club wasn’t going in the direction she wanted it go, so she implemented new ideas to turn the program around.

Originally, Impulse had one cut and whoever made it became part of the ‘clique.’ KiLeigh wanted to change the clique into a family. She made it so each event held new auditions so people who didn’t make it at first could return for another audition. Also, she changed the ‘closed rehearsals’ to ‘open classes’ so anyone on campus could join in on the hip-hop classes. She also expanded Impulse by using social media, recording and sharing footage from classes, bringing in other choreographers, and performing at shows outside of Point Park.

The biggest change KiLeigh created for Impulse were the semesterly workshops. The hip-hop training in Pittsburgh is very limited, so she brought in dancers from other states to motivate and inspire the club. The workshops were open to students, but also anyone who had an interest in dance — this included dancers from the Pittsburgh area and neighboring towns. The workshops were a huge success in not only promoting dance, but financially helping the club.

In addition to Impulse, KiLeigh enjoyed choreographing dance videos. She started choreographing videos her senior year of high school that were just for fun, but by her senior year in college she got involved with videos using visual concepts. She enjoys choreographing dance videos because she likes to have a physical reminder of her inspiration of a song. When she saw people’s reactions to her videos and how they related to her ideas, she never felt so honored. The videos continue to this day.

THE BIG MOVE

After graduating in December 2013, KiLeigh was faced with a decision. She had to decide whether chasing her dream to become a professional dancer was still in grasp, or to face reality and get a ‘big girl’ job. She knew her passion for dance hadn’t died yet, and the only true way to make it is by going to the mecca of dance, Los Angeles. As risky as it sounded, KiLeigh crossed her fingers and headed off to LA.

With her loving mom by her side, she hit the road to LA. She traveled after graduation in Pittsburgh, back home to Marion, and off to California.

 

The first six months in LA were described as weird, but an eye-opener to a whole new life. She would drive to the beach twice a week, just because she wasn’t able to do that before. She loved discovering the new places and meeting new people. It was a fresh experience from the east coast.

Although LA is warm, sunny, and beautiful, KiLeigh faced many challenges the first six months. She didn’t have a job or a real way of income. She spent her little bit of money on classes to become better as a dancer. She moved three times with the first six months. Her car was breaking down by the second and she faced weight-loss issues. She needed to be in the best shape possible to advance in the dance industry. It was definitely a stressful six months.

But with every storm comes a rainbow. KiLeigh found her break once she signed with one of LA’s best dance agencies, Clear Talent Group. She was slowly being noticed by more teachers and choreographers, which allowed her to gain more confidence as a dancer. She was truly enlightened by her struggles and conquers in the first six months.

LA LIFE

 

As KiLeigh continues to grow as an artist, she will continue to grow as a person. She has already experienced life-changing situations as she pursues her dream of being a professional dancer. Along her journey, she has matured as a dancer, an artist, and more importantly a believer.

Listen to hear more about KiLeigh’s struggles and fortunes in LA, as well as her advice for following your dreams.