Meet Addison Paige | Dancer, Bassist & Skateboarder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Addison Paige and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Addison, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
They say you have to bet big to win big, and that’s how I feel about taking risks; the riskier decision probably has a bigger payoff (if you put in the work). The biggest risk I’ve taken was choosing dance, music, and art over grad school- and every day I am thankful for that decision. In 2017, I moved to LA after undergrad at University of South Carolina. I had no community and little knowledge when it came to the entertainment industry, but I had faith. The commercial dance world was MUCH different than the realm of things in the Southeast and I was going to have to learn that quickly. Taking that chance, moving across the country, and learning a new terrain was scary at times but I’ve gotten the biggest rewards from it. By 2020 I’ve been able to dance alongside musicians like Inas X, Bebe Cool, Ari Lennox and more. All of these people inspire me but the biggest thing I’ve gained from uprooting my life and moving to LA is my learning to listen to my authentic voice.

I put myself in uncomfortable situations all the time, and that’s where the most growth comes from. During the past 2 years I took a chance to tackle something new and picked up the bass guitar. And since quarantine I’ve been skateboarding a lot too (talk about a risk) but trying new things and getting out of my comfort zone has been the most rewarding thing these past few years.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Art is a huge part of my identity, music especially. And what sets me apart is I’m a multidisciplined artist. Dance, bass guitar, and skateboarding are how I love to express myself and make money.

As a dancer at heart, I’ve been training and performing since I was a child. I studied ballet and modern at Charleston County School of the Arts and did dance team with The Carolina Girls in college. Four years of cheering on and dancing for our Athletic Department helped solidify my love for performance. Since moving to the west coast, I’ve gotten to take my technical jazz skills to the next level with heels performance. Training with professionals out here has expanded my dancing. I’ve gotten a lot more groovy and really found my voice, with hip hop styles like House Dance. If you’d like to see some recent projects, check out my dance reel here.

Speaking of groove, let me tell you about my bass guitar. A while ago I picked up my friend’s bass, played an open E, and my life changed. I’m thankful my parents forced me to play piano as a kid, because it helped me to be a better bassist. The transition to musician was challenging but perseverance can get you anywhere. You need 10,000 hours to become a master at anything so get to work at whatever passion you’re tackling.

Most recently I’ve played with some amazing artists and friends like Shaelle Etienne, Tsola Akuya (go check them out) and now I play in a band with Nia Imani and the Stolen Summers. Being in a band is rewarding because its so much more fun achieve goals with the people you love: shout out to Nia Imani (lead/vocals) Jonathan Rodriguez (JRod – drums), Theresa Yeens (Reezy – keys) and Darrell Cummings (Gene – guitar) for keeping me humble and growing.

Since I’m a dancer first, being an athletic artist has been such a big part of my life. The segway into skateboarding has been easy – except it causes more bruising. I still dance all the time but during the pandemic, a lot of dance studios closed. When the industry slowed down, skateboarding has became a great release. I get to use my body in a different way and it is very freeing. And thanks to some special people, I have even booked background work as a skateboarder. The skate culture in California is so magnetic I can’t stay away.

So that brings me to my biggest lesson learned. In the art world and beyond, community is e v e r y t h i n g. Find the people around you to keep you motivated, challenged, humble and happy. If you find the right people and keep your circle strong, it is so much easier (and more fun) to accomplish any goal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic I would take a friend out to go dancing at Tenants of the Trees or Short Stop in Silverlake/ Echo park area. I love Silverlake Ramen for a good rice bowl or ramen and I also love Van Leeuwen for ice cream. If I was with skateboarders I would definitely take them to Kingswell Los Feliz (support your local skateshop) and Sheldon Skatepark. And of course we would have to go to my favorite look out spot on Mulholland Drive and also a quick day trip to Malibu. It’d be a great trip- all of my friends should visit haha. 

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Community is everything, so I have to shoutout Brian & Andrea Lewis (mom & dad) for everything they’ve ever taught me. And special thanks to my closest friend Courtney Kane and the community I’ve found over the past years- Yvonne Wema, Alison Haggard, Anaiah Simons, Taylor Edgin, Cassie Lavo, Buffy Milner, Saadat Maksat I would not be where I am without you guys and I am forever grateful.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaddisonpaige/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theaddisonpaige
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaddisonpaige/
Other: https://vimeo.com/theaddisonpaige

Image Credits
Image 1: Chip Sneed Image 2: Jovon Roberts Image 3: SIGHTXCHANGE by TEX the Artist Image 4: Rashad Moultrie Image 5: Jarrick Wenslow Image 6: Anaiah Simons Image 7: Chip Sneed Image 8 & 9: Teresa Rosa & Andrew Clark of Dópamín Media