Meet Brianna Norris | Dancer & Psychiatric Social Worker

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

Hi Brianna, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance is such an interesting topic to me because it sounds so easily attainable and yet many of us struggle with it. Many live a lifestyle where activities that fall under the ‘life’ category can also be considered ‘work’. Or even argued as non-negotiable in our day to day lives. We as people have the opportunity to wear many hats during our life and all at one time. As someone who currently pursues an active dance career by dancing for the teams out of Snowglobe Perspective (Whittier, CA), I also support in substitute teaching a variety of dance classes, and assisting with The Voltz Dance Company (North Hollywood, CA). I am also maintain a full time career as a Psychiatric Social Worker for Los Angeles Unified School District, and I am actively working towards earning my Clinical Social Work License. All of these things can be considered ‘work’, and they are, but at that same time, dance has been an amazing hub for me to meet fellow creatives and connect, which can be argued to be part of the ‘life’ component of the balance.

I think the concept of ‘work life balance’ is important as it reminds us that we need to take care of ourselves and actively participate in our own lives, not just work all day, everyday, and only care about work. Life has so much more to offer. However, I think many of us can agree that it is not that simple. So in turn I try to practice a branch concept of ‘work life balance’ by making sure I am doing something the fuels my brain, my body, and my soul. An example for the brain could be learning something new or engaging in an activity to relax the mind, such as meditation. For the body it could be resting, and making sure I am giving my body the appropriate care, or it could be by heading to the gym for a nice workout or even dancing. For my soul, that’s often where I categorize dance, but it could also be connecting with nature or talking to a loved one. Many of these can double dip for me as well, I am very passionate about fitness so going to the gym can be very good for the mind, body, and soul. Same could be said for dance, and many other activities I enjoy.

All that being said, we are human, and we are not perfect. Some days work may take a priority and I am giving more to my job(s) than I am to the the life side of the balance, but the next week could pose the opposition. I don’t believe there is a perfect formula to the ‘work life balance’ mindset, but I have found that checking-in with myself everyday, and being mindful of doing something that fuels my mind, my body, and my soul has been a reliable formula to attain a good ‘work life balance’.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Dance was always something I was passionate about, starting from a very young age. I knew it was something I was going to want to do for as long as I could. When I was in my senior year of high school, I took my first psychology class, that is what started me on the direction I am on today and set the tone for where I want to take my future. We hear all the time, fellow creatives say how their passion changed their lives or saved them. Dance was my coping mechanism, and it was what kept me going everyday and many others are the same. I was able to witness first hand, via my mom opening her own studio in Jeannette, PA in 2004. At that time the area experienced high volumes of community violence. The studio and support from the coach (my mom) provided the dancers with a safe space and a positive role model/environment. It provided stability, safe community, love and support. I was able to see first hand, and hear the live testimonies of how dance changed their lives, how it saved them. Why would other communities be any different, why would other art/creative forms have this impact or would they, why was this not something that was explored further. Those were questions I became determined to answer. I started exploring the world of expressive arts therapy. This is something that in 2014, was still underdeveloped and had few accredited sources to rely on and obtain accurate quantitative data from. That, however did not discourage me, if anything it motivated me more. I attended Bethany College, in Bethany, WV where I entered as an interdisciplinary major, where I was going to create my own curriculum focused on intertwining dance and psychology. During my time at Bethany, I got introduced to the world of social work and I met the head of the department, who gave me the full support in my aspirations and continued to help me create and fine tune the direction I wanted to take my goal. Thus, the dream of owning my own agency focusing on expressive therapies (dance, writing, cooking, photography, etc.) to support at risk youth was born. Thereby leading me to USC to get my Masters in Social Work with a focus on children, youth, and families. I received support from my teachers and continued to gain knowledge on how to turn this dream into a reality. An important factor of that is to acquire my Clinical Social Work license which I am currently working towards, networking, and continuing my dance training. I am excited to continue to grow both as a professional dancer and in my studies and work as a Social Worker, and turn this dream that many find strange, obscure, or unattainable into a reality.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the best things about LA is that there are so many places to explore and find. LACMA is a great place to walk around and explore, and see beautiful art. They also have live jazz performances Friday evenings April-November! In LA you can also find a handful of places that do roof top movie screenings, which if you were someone who grew-up going to drive-ins (like me) this is a pretty cool comparison! Malibu Farm Pier Cafe, Met Him At A Bar, Laurel Hardware, Bacari, Lady Byrd Cafe, are all great spots to grab a bite too eat whether it be for brunch or dinner, all have a wonderful selection of food options. For drinks, I would recommend taking advantage of the rooftop spots and the unique, one of a kind style bars. Some of my favorites are The Broken Shaker, Mama Shelter, E.P. & L.P., Perch, Catch LA, and The Bohemien. I love discovering new places whether it be to hike, eat, grab a coffee, etc. If you are coming to Los Angeles or even if you live here, don’t be afraid to try something new. You never know what little cafe or bar will turn into your new favorite spot!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people have helped and supported me throughout these years. I’d have to start with my family, especially my mom. I have been dancing since I was 2 years old, and have stuck with it ever since. My family has supported me in all my dance endeavors and continues to do so. I’d love to also shine some recognition on my former dance instructor Nikki Molter. I danced at her studio in Jeannette, PA from the age of 5/6 until i was 18 years old. Shoutout to Deysia Cooper, the captain of the Bethany College Dance Team when I joined, without her training and support I wouldn’t have been able to hold captainship for 2 years and continue to grow and develop the dance team for our college. Cheryl Pompeo and Shane Kesneck who I trained with extensively my last two years of college. I’d also like to thank Jay Chris Moore and Sarah Ro my former directors of The M.O.B. Dance Company for all that you did for me over my 3.5 years with you. I moved out to Los Angeles away from my family and friends and you all became a family to me and I will be forever thankful for the opportunities, training, and people it brought into my life. The special friends I made after I moved to LA, Edgar Vicencio, my first friend in Los Angeles who showed me the opportunities in the dance community, as well as Kylie Douglas (Director of The Voltz Dance Company), Deondre Lewis, Fernanda Zepeda, Weslie Kirks, Vicky Liane, and so many more. Thank you to all the amazing people I have had the opportunities to train with over the years such as, Erick Rios, JBad Rios, Sherwin ‘Beast’ Salonga , and many others. Thank you to my current directors, Jun Quemado, Jerould Jorge, and Andie Zauz, of Snowglobe Perspective, for all your guidance and support thus far. I am forever grateful for my friends, family, instructors, and mentors who have guided and supported me in this journey and those who will continue to do so.

Image Credits
Ed Bizich (ig: @thebizz52)