1, What is your story and your becoming of a model, dancer, Pageant Queen etc.?
I’ve been dancing since the age of 4. I used to be fidgety so I always had to keep moving. I used to dance for fun in my spare time to songs that i liked. but they were like old man dance moves so I was never really good. I started by doing the dance club that was held after school and I instantly fell in love with it. I was then offered a scholarship to the teacher’s dance school (Miss Sophie’s School of Dance) and I took it. It then got to the point where I wanted to start taking dance seriously. The first style I learned was Freestyle Disco. Its quite hard to explain. I didnt start competing until I was 5 as I was too young. When I was 10 I joined CR Dance Company when it first started as a dance school, and I have been with them since. At 11, I left Sophie’s to go to my current dance school Prestige, which is another Freestyle disco styled school. I love both schools with my whole heart and I wouldn’t give them up for the world. At 9 I started modelling. I never really like trying different things so it took me some time to get used to being in front of a professional camera. I then got the hang of it and I started to do more and more photoshoots. It then went from photoshoots to runway modelling very quickly. But there’s nothing else in the world that I would rather do than be in front of the camera now.
2, Do you enjoy being a model or dancer more?
I’ve been dancing practically my whole life so I have to pick dance. But I love doing both as much as each other.
3, What awards have you won in the past, present or will in the future?
At the age of a 7 turned champ in freestyle disco. When I was 10 I turned Prem champ in slow at a Weekender. When I was 11 I went to Florida to compete in a pageant for Royal International Miss and I won the talent round two years in a row. I also came first runner up for Royal Top Model.
4, At your age, what advice can u give to young aspiring individuals (especially the youth of our generation), in the fashion industry, concerning body image and mental health?
It’s always good to have a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Having a fixed mindset leads to negativity and things you don’t really want to be feeling where as a growth mindset focuses on positive things and and good vibes. Mental health has had a huge impact last year and this year especially in the teenage area. Throughout covid-19, people have started to fall into darker places and don’t really tell anyone about it or dont know how to get out of it.
As hard as it is it’s really important to speak to someone and check in to let them know that you’re there for them. Ask your friend if they’re okay. Ask a stranger if they’re okay or how their day is going. Constantly check up on your peers and your friends or anyone that you know because you never really know what’s going on in their mind or on the inside. One person that has really inspired me about body image is Billie Eilish. She’s known for wearing baggy clothes to cover up her body so nobody can have an opinion on her because they’ve never seen what’s underneath. Earlier on last year, she released a video about body image called ‘Not My Responsibility’.
In the video she slowly rips off layers of clothes and at the end she then says “is your opinion of me not my responsibility?”. She showed that it doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks, you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone as long as you know who you are. And that it is important to love yourself. I still go back to watch that video to this day and it’s still as inspiring as it was when she first released it.
5, Do you find performing enjoyable to you at such a young age?
Yes, very much so. There’s nothing else I would rather do. I love putting smiles on people’s faces when they see what I do and I feel like smiling brightens up the world a little bit. It gives off good energy and I like to feed off of that and do the best that I can.
6, Do you have any other hobbies you like to do?
I play piano a lot. I’m not as good as Beethoven but I’m still learning.
7, Which career path do you think you’ll choose when you grow older?
I’ve always wanted to be a professional dancer. I’ve always wanted to dance alongside huge artists and maybe choreograph for the one day. That’s always been my dream. But at the same time I’ve always wanted to be a runway model. People like Bella and Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner inspire me a lot to do that.
8, How have you come this far in your career?
I don’t really know how to put it into words. I don’t think I would have been where I am today without people like my mum, my friends, my family, huge artists and celebrities that I look up too, my idols. They pretty much made me who I am so I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have them in my life.
9, Would you like to further your career even more and how do you plan to do that?
I don’t really like to plan things as far as things to do with my career. I usually like to let life unravel and see what is in store for me and see what comes up. I feel like planning is too much stress. Like if I plan something huge than the stress build-up is insane and I hate it. I usually have a lot of crazy ideas and different things so I always make big leaps and bounds to try and get what I want. And I will fight for it. There are some things that I’ve planned, but they are huge and little at the same time. There’s big things I want but there’s not a lot of them so it’s manageable and I don’t have to worry about pressure.
10, Do you believe your career choice will not only affect you in a positive way but others?
It will definitely affect me positively for sure. It will make me realise how far I’ve come and my progress and improvement but also I feel like it will impact other people that support me as well. I think that people that have grown up throughout my journey to success would look at me and be like “oh I can’t believe how far she’s come” or “she’s doing amazing”. I would love to see that and I think it will make me feel better about myself knowing that I didn’t fail them and I’m doing them proud and that they’re happy for me.
11, Who is your inspirational role model in and outside of the fashion industry?
I have to say Billie Eilish and Beyoncè. Billie owns her own brand called Blohsh. She’s always been into fashion and being able to create a brand at the age of 16 is crazy. Her style is quirky and different which makes me love it even more. I don’t think I could ever do that. She is literally my idol and she inspires me more than she will ever know. Beyoncè on the other hand has been doing insanely well with Ivy Park. I love how it’s kind of like a streetwear “hood” style and she is representing where she grew up. she is a living legend and an amazing entrepreneur. I’m glad to call her one of my role models.
12, Who would you like to thank the most for always being there for you in and outside of your career?
I have to say my mama, my family and my friends. My mum has been with me since birth and has done absolutely everything for me and I cannot thank her enough. I am way too mean to her for how nice she is to me. She spends every last penny on me to get me to where I wanna be and I couldn’t be more grateful. My friends and family have always supported me ever since the start and I love them all to my core.