We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Kay White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda Kay, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Balance is a tricky to navigate professionally and creatively. Constantly mining your personal life for inspiration can take some of the fun out of living in the moment. Balance isn’t even or equal and that’s ok. With time I have developed the ability to ride the give and take as well as learn the art of saying “No thank you”. And if I can’t muster up the confidence to give a hard no, I find a middle ground of “Not right now, but soon”. Also, centering my needs as an artist and maker has helped to ensure my contributions to those around me don’t come at a cost that is unsustainable over time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One of my favorite things about dance is how it can bring people together. The personal and communal relationships are what bring me back time and time again. Not to say I’ve ever left, but the physical toll of a career in dance can sometimes feel like a price too hight to pay. Yet, the energy of a room can lighten your personal load and make it so it doesn’t feel like an “I” moment but a “we” moment. For me curating an experience for artists to lean into the collective, to feel the power of the “we” helps them open up to new possibilities.

We can learn so much from each other if we allow ourselves the chance to be vulnerable. Seeking perfectionism is taught to many young dancers, but to me that is a closed loop. You are taught to uphold someone else’s aesthetics. I’m constantly challenging myself to search for what makes my approach to movement unique, different, or special. This attention to the intention keeps my journey progressing. Always forward, no, but I fun creative loop before a long and winding road can be interesting too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Any week in LA there are an array of events, performances, or happenings throughout the city. Knowing where to go can be key. The best inside scoop can be found by taking a dance class and chatting up your fellow classmates. Whether it be a class at Stomping Ground or LADP, you can always hear about the hot ticket or upcoming show from someone in class. So a week with me would need to start with some DANCE! Followed by carb loading with some fresh made pasta from Ellie’s in Long Beach. I’ve enjoyed every dish I’ve had here, not to mention their brunch is pretty amazing too.

Other things to do would be seeking out estate sales in the area. I’ve stumbled upon parts of the city I would never have know where there. The cutest neighborhoods, coffee shops, or community stores can be found this way. You also get to see inside some awesome time-capsule homes too. An invitation into someone’s home is something special. To see how people live, what they see as important, and how they express themselves in their personal spaces is a gift.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been many strong women who have helped my along my artistic path, but in this moment I would like to dedicate my Shoutout to Jennifer Backhaus. She invited me to join Backhausdance as a founding member in 2003 and has been an integral part of my personal and professional development ever since.

Website: backhausdance.org

Instagram: @akwhite106

Image Credits
Emily Duncan Adrien Padilla Mo Goodfellow

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