Meet Dani Scaringe: Dancer, Animator, Tattoo Artist

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

Hi Dani, why did you pursue a creative career?
Honestly, I knew that I would never be fully and truly happy unless I was doing something I loved. I feel the most alive and the most myself when I’m creating, it only made sense to turn it into a career. It allows me to have spontaneity and variety in my everyday, while also allowing me learn new things and perfect my craft. I love getting to collaborate and bring other people’s visions to life, it is so rewarding to be able to create something impactful and meaningful for others. Art helps me process, and in doing so, can help other people relate to you on a, sometimes, uncomfortable level. It creates a hidden support system that can provide a lot of comfort and relationality between total strangers. I knew I wanted to facilitate that in any way I could. 

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.
I’ve been dancing since the age of 9, but I have always had a love for visual arts, even briefly going to college for illustration in hopes to become a tattoo artist (which was a long road, but we finally got there). After dropping out of college for personal and family matters, I finally felt the freedom to experiment and find my voice as an artist. In 2017, I started experimenting with animation, combining my love for dance and movement with my love for visual art, eventually creating the style I am most known for today. Initially I was just creating for myself, but eventually over the years, I was approached by artists from a variety of different backgrounds, including musicians, choreographers, photographers, and sex workers to help bring their visions to life. My biggest piece of advice would be to just be there. Put yourself out there and take the risk, you may be be surprised by the outcome. And even if the end goal is not where you imagined, you were able to learn something and gain knowledge along the way. At the end of the day, it is all a process, no matter where you are in your career, you will always be learning and growing. Tattooing is something I started just this past year. I have known it was something I wanted to do ever since I was in high school but is a very tough industry to break into, especially as a woman. I met with countless mentors over the years and they all ended up being terrible creeps, or simply loose ends that just fell through. Eventually I came to meet my current boss, Annie Motel. It was quite serendipitous and I really feel that all the other times didn’t work out because I was meant to be exactly where I am right now. One of my favorite quotes it, “If it was not meant for me, thank you”. Sometimes things fall through because something else is meant for you.

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.
I live in Los Angeles and there is honestly so much to do. I love the beach, especially Malibu. I know some secret beaches that I like to frequent to watch the sunset or enjoy a picnic with friends. As for restaurants, I’m plant based so many of my favorite places are vegan. I love Little Pine, Sage, and Monty’s Good Burger in Silverlake, Crossroads Kitchen in Hollywood, and the vegan street fair in NoHo. My favorite activities when it’s not a pandemic are to go to bars and concerts. Some of my favorite places serve as both concert venues and restaurants/bars. I love to go to Zebulon, The Friend, The Cha Cha Lounge, and Tenants of the Trees. There are so many fun places to explore popping up all the time, it keeps things exciting and interesting.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
MY FRIENDS! My friends are so incredibly talented and supportive. They inspire me daily to go after what I want and not settle. Lexi Dysart, Mary Grace McNally, and Alan Salazar are phenomenal dancers and choreographers, Saskia Kivilo is an amazing photographer/videographer, and Alexa Palminteri is one of the best yoga teachers I have ever encountered. They all put so much time and effort into their craft and it truly shows. I also owe my tattoo knowledge to Little Annie Motel. She was gracious enough to take me under her wing and show me the ropes. She is an amazing talent and I am so grateful to be working for such a caring and compassionate teacher.

Website: www.daniscaringe.com
Instagram: @daniscaringe

Image Credits
Saskia Kivilo, beer money ft. Molly Horne, MG + Artists, and Project e/stablish ft. Logan Hernandez