Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Williams.
Jamie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Wharton, TX, a small town 60 miles south of Houston. Like most little girls in our town, my mom put me in dance classes when I was two years old. I was pretty quiet and very sensitive as a child, but I loved dancing. When I was 13, I was asked to be part of the opening number for our annual recital. It was a big deal because an out of town choreographer would come in and choreograph it, and only high school students were usually cast. I was one of three middle school aged girls cast in the number. When the guest choreographer, Jonathan Charles, (who I found out was actually a Wharton native) walked in, I was totally intimidated. He put me in the front (because I was tiny, not because I was good) and began counting off eight counts of steps. He made them up as he went, he would show us once, and then say, “let me see it.” This was pretty normal for the dance world, but for my small town, 13-year-old self, it was terrifying. I missed steps, ended up on the wrong count and on the wrong foot, turned the wrong direction, ended up on the wrong side of the stage… I was a mess. At the end of the first day’s rehearsal, he pointed his finger at me and summoned me over to where he was sitting. In his confident, sophisticated way, he asked my name. When I told him, he asked, “Do you want to dance?” I said, “yes, of course.” He said, “If you work as hard as you did today for the rest of your career, you’ll be a star.” I never forgot those words. I was about to walk out of the studio feeling defeated, but I didn’t, because a teacher took the time to recognize my hard work. I worked very hard all throughout high school, keeping high grades so I could earn scholarships to pay for college. I chose the dance program at Sam Houston State University, where my friend, Mr. Charles, was a professor. I was such a small fish in a big pond, but I would grow. I was also like a kid in a candy store.
Studying dance in college was like getting to have ice cream everyday, and I was learning so much. It was here that I was introduced to and fell in love with modern dance. Dr. Cindy Gratz introduced me to Hula, which would become a lifelong love affair with Hawaiian dance and culture. Dana Nicolay introduced me to Laban Movement Analysis, which would lead to me pursuing my own certification in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Studies, the basis from which I teach all of my classes. Jennifer Pontius taught me how to write about dance, and Dr. Dan Phillips taught me how to develop and defend my own philosophical ideas on dance and art. Andy Noble introduced me to personality studies, which would become the basis for my Master’s thesis, and inform my life’s relationships forever. I attended SHSU for six years and, in that time, earned a BFA in Dance, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2008, and an MFA in Dance graduating in 2011.
Upon graduation, I moved to Houston. Once again, I was a little fish in a big pond. For about four years, I was fully immersed in what we call the “adjunct hustle.” I needed to work multiple jobs to stay afloat. I danced with numerous small companies in the area including Psophonia Dance Company, Rednerrus Feil Dance Company, and Frame Dance. I was a part-time dance faculty member at San Jacinto College. I was an unpaid intern with Hope Stone in exchange for free classes and my weekly dose of “sunshine for the soul” which came from Artistic Director, Jane Weiner. I taught at multiple studios in the city and surrounding suburban areas. I even had a part-time gig as a personal assistant for a while.
At one time, I was working eight jobs at once. I was working my hardest, and after four years of barely keeping my head above water financially, I was ready to settle. I had worked hard for a career in the arts, but it wasn’t sustainable. And I had the work ethic, but I was losing my passion. Then everything changed in a big way. In the spring of 2014, my mother, who had been my biggest cheerleader, suddenly died. Of course, it was devastating, and it changed every single thing about my life. It changed the way I thought, the way I loved, the way I danced, the way I created, and the way I taught. It changed me for the better. Though painful, the “collateral beauty” of losing my mom is that it has given purpose and meaning to my work. It has made me much more willing to be vulnerable in my work and empathetic with my students. Later that same year, I was offered a full-time position directing and teaching in the Dance Program at San Jacinto College. For the past five years, I have been running the Dance Program at San Jac and my purpose has been making a difference in the lives of the San Jac students. I aim to create meaningful work and to teach not only connectivity based technique, but also, to instill a sense of kindness, humility, professionalism, and sheer love for movement and creativity in each student I encounter.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In comparison to others, I think, yes, I have had a pretty smooth road. I am very blessed to have always had both the financial and emotional support of both of my parents. I am fortunate to have been able to study at a university with brilliant and caring mentors and peers and to have earned a terminal degree in my field.
Many of my struggles have been psychological.
As an INFJ in the Myers-Briggs personality typology system, I’ve always been something of a sensitive, emotional, people pleasing, perfectionist. I’m an empath to the core and the world can be tough for people like me. I have had to learn that my mentors’ opinions are not always valid or valuable and pleasing them won’t necessarily make me happy. I have had to learn that comparing yourself to others is waging a war that will never be won; its more fruitful to simply send them love and light, and then send that same love and light to yourself. I have had to teach myself mental and physical self-care. And I have to accept my flaws and forgive myself for my shortcomings everyday. I’m not perfect, and after 32 years, that’s still tough to hear.
Obviously, my mother’s death has been the most significant struggle I have ever faced. Performing was the most difficult thing to do right after she died. It requires so much vulnerability and commitment; If you’re not being authentic on stage, the audience can feel it. My authentic self during this time was in so much pain. There would be times in which I would come offstage sobbing, shaking, and gasping for air. It was most difficult because my mother had never, ever missed a performance in my whole life, then all of a sudden, she wasn’t there. What helped me during this time was an imagery exercise that I did. I closed my eyes and was guided through a list of questions that led me to a very vivid image of me dancing in a studio where all the walls are made of windows. There are two large white birds that swirl around me and dance with me. One of these birds is the spirit of my mother, and the other is the spirit of my friend, Jonathan Charles, who passed away just about a year before my mom. I am blindfolded, and the two birds swoop and swirl around me guiding me through the most voluminous arcing and carving movement pathways. Whenever I’m about to go onstage, I still take some time in my warmup to close my eyes, feel their presence, and move with them. It makes me feel grounded and reminds me of where I came from.
San Jacinto College – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from others?
I don’t necessarily own a company but I have influence in 3 key areas:
The first, and probably most significant is my role as a professor and dance program coordinator at San Jacinto College. I am most proud of the work that I do as a dance maker and an educator. My job is not only to teach students how to dance with functionality and expressivity, but also to teach them dance history, help them develop ideas about what constitutes engaging art, guide them and mentor them as they set out to create their own artistic works, teach them professionalism and humility, provide them opportunities for growth, and guide and support them as they move toward their goals. I’m also proud of the work that we do for our community. In 2012, I started an event called Artists for Hope. Artists for Hope is a charity concert event in which all tickets sales are gifted to a chosen local charity. In the last four years, we have raised over $10,000 for The Cancer Research Institute, Project Joy and Hope, Unbound Houston, and Houston Children’s Charities. Local Houston area dance companies voluntarily donate their work to put together this charity concert, and free master classes are offered to all Houston area dance students, pre-professionals, and professionals. The event is a win-win-win raising money for those in need, offering free classes and performance opportunities to young dancers, and bringing high-quality dancing to our local, suburban community.
Secondly, I am a Framer. I am a company member with Frame Dance productions (Artistic Director, Lydia Hance), and will start working with the Junior Framers on technique, improvisation, and creative endeavors this fall. Frame Dance’s mission is to empower Houstonians to communicate, inspire, and connect to the world and others through movement, community and artistic collaboration, and technology. I love performing with Frame Dance because most of the work is collaborative and improvisational. It gives me an opportunity to challenge myself and grow through play. I believe in play as a vehicle for learning so deeply, and I’m excited to share with the Junior Framers this next year.
Lastly, I’m a recently certified yoga teacher. I’m just getting started on this yoga journey, but one key aspect of what I have taken away and hope to instill in all areas of my life is the power of intention. I work to incorporate intentional presence in everything. I teach regular classes at Sundance Yoga in Friendswood/Pearland.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
A proud moment that comes to mind is the presentation of here, after, my first choreographic work that I created after my mother’s death. I didn’t know how to even go about beginning to create. Every time I went into the studio it was raw and painful. The work turned into a beautiful solo that featured a female dancer in a sheer sea-foam green dress. It was brightly lit with floodlights from behind and the soloist moved forward and back between the lights, slipping into darkness and then violently thrusting herself back into the light. I didn’t realize how much it would impact others until I took it the American College Dance Association Conference to represent the San Jacinto College Dance Program. When the curtains opened on my students swaying in the silent, an audible hush came over the audience. It remained silent for the next six and a half minutes until she finally slipped into the darkness for the last time.
As the lights disappeared, the audience exploded. The response was overwhelming. This work was selected for the gala concert, meaning it was selected to be presented again. I felt validated by the work we had made, but more importantly I was so humbled and grateful have had an opportunity to share my work and connect with so many. The real reward was all the conversations I got to have with people about the work, what it meant to them, and how it made them feel. This solo was shared by two of my students. They both got to perform it. Each of them performed it in their own way, and they each performed it beautifully. I am honored to know that this solo was a stepping stone, maybe even a catalyst that moved them both forward to earning a BFA in Dance from the University of Houston and Sam Houston State University.
Contact Info:
- Address: Jamie Williams
5813 Orchard Spring CT
Pearland, TX 77581 - Website: https://www.sanjac.edu/dance-san-jac
- Phone: 979-533-7111
- Email: jamie.williams@sjcd.edu
Image Credit:
Professional photos by Jennifer Salter
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